Green hydrogen from the Cologne electrolyzer will be used to produce green ammonia, as well as being made available for other Ineos processes at the site and to chemical park operator Currenta, along with other users in the region. Inovyn will also look at developing e-fuels through power-to-methanol applications on an industrial scale at the German site.

“This development builds on Ineos’s leading role in [the] decarbonization of industry with green ammonia, and methanol production from green hydrogen. The transition is driven by the growing demand for low-carbon and affordable energy sources,” said Hans Casier, CEO of Ineos Phenol and Ineos Nitriles.

Overall, the project will reduce carbon emissions at Cologne by more than 120,000 t/y.

Ineos said the project has successfully passed the first selection phase of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) process. IPCEIs are projects that the European Commission has identified as a priority for interconnecting the region’s energy infrastructure and are eligible to receive state aid.

The company has an expanding list of developments in the green hydrogen space but said that government support and a suitable regulatory framework is needed for the investments to be realized.

At Runcorn, Inovyn will install dedicated on-site facilities for the purification and compression of fuel cell-quality hydrogen for subsequent loading, transportation and distribution to fueling stations across the UK.

The site’s hydrogen output could potentially power more than 1,000 buses or 2,000 trucks where battery electric drive systems are not appropriate due to range, payload and critical refueling times.

Inovyn said it believes the investment at Runcorn will kick-start the emerging hydrogen market and further support the northwest’s regional commitment to carbon neutrality.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist