Leading energy companies Statkraft, Foresight, and Progressive Energy have announced the formation of a joint venture company called Grenian Hydrogen.
The purpose of this partnership is to spearhead the development of green hydrogen projects in the UK, catering to major manufacturers aiming to transition from natural gas to hydrogen in order to decarbonize their operations.
Grenian Hydrogen capitalizes on the collective expertise and experience of each organization involved, providing manufacturers with a bankable solution for their hydrogen needs. The company will handle the entire transition process for customers by designing, constructing, owning, and operating hydrogen production facilities. Leveraging Progressive Energy’s proficiency in managing commercial-scale hydrogen demonstration projects, such as the one at Unilever’s Port Sunlight manufacturing plant, Grenian aims to facilitate the conversion of sites to be “hydrogen ready.”
Foresight, a prominent investor in green hydrogen in the UK, will lend its extensive sector expertise to the joint venture, aligning with its broader sustainable infrastructure strategies. The flagship project of Grenian Hydrogen, the 30MW Cheshire Green Hydrogen (CGH) located at Peel’s Protos site near Ince, has already been short-listed by the government for a 15-year Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement (LCHA).
Currently, Front End Engineering Design (FEED) studies and consenting processes are underway for CGH, as well as four other projects in St Helens, Winnington, Middlewich, and Stretford. Three of these projects are also supported by Strand 1 (Round 1) of the government’s Net Zero Hydrogen Fund. Moreover, Grenian has submitted Strand 1 bids to secure funding for engineering work related to two larger “mini-cluster” projects in Wrexham and Speke (Liverpool). These sites will supply multiple users through local pipeline networks connected to “central” electrolytic hydrogen production plants. In the long run, these networks may integrate with the larger hydrogen distribution hub being developed by Cadent as part of the HyNet project.
Grenian Hydrogen will generate electrolytic hydrogen using power sourced from renewable generation within Statkraft’s extensive renewables portfolio. Additionally, in some cases, local behind-the-meter power will be procured through private wire arrangements from both existing and new wind, solar, and biomass generation facilities. To meet the requirements of the LCHA, all power utilized by Grenian’s electrolyzers will be matched with specific renewable generators in a temporally synchronized manner.
In a significant move, Grenian has signed an initial commercial agreement with Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions brand of Cummins Inc, to supply the core electrolyzer equipment for the new production plants. Accelera specializes in manufacturing a patented PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) technology, which has a proven track record of commercial operation and offers enhanced performance when directly coupled with renewables compared to traditional alkaline technology.
The establishment of this joint venture follows the initial collaboration agreement signed by the three partners back in October 2022. Adam Baddeley, the Chief Executive of Grenian Hydrogen and Progressive Energy, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s formation and launch, highlighting the unique capabilities Grenian brings to industrial hydrogen users, setting them apart from others in the market.
