Ineos invests €2bn in green hydrogen

Ineos

INEOS will invest more than €2bn (US$2.32bn) in electrolysis projects for green hydrogen production across Europe.

The first projects will be in Norway, Germany, and Belgium and further investment is planned in the UK and France.

In Norway, Ineos will build a 20 MW electrolyser for clean hydrogen production using net zero electricity. The project will generate an estimated 22,000 t/y reduction in CO2 emissions at Ineos’ Rafnes operations, and it will serve as a hub to provide hydrogen to the transport sector.

Ineos will build a larger scale, 100 MW electrolyser at its site in Köln, Germany, furthering decarbonisation at the site. The unit is expected to result in more than 120,000 t/y of emissions savings. Hydrogen generated will be used to produce green ammonia. The project is also expected to open opportunities to develop e-fuels through power-to-methanol on an industrial scale.

Ineos is also developing other projects in Belgium, France, and the UK, and it expects to announce further partnerships with leading organisations involved in developing new hydrogen applications. 

As part of the €2bn investment, Ineos has further announced that its subsidiary Inovyn will upgrade existing low-carbon hydrogen production at its site in Runcorn, UK. The site produces 7,000 t/y of hydrogen and will be upgraded to allow it to supply compressed fuel-cell quality hydrogen to mobility and power generation. The project is expected to kickstart the emerging hydrogen market and further the North West’s regional commitment to carbon neutrality.

The upgrade project builds on Inovyn’s hydrogen portfolio in the UK, including its involvement with consortiums such as HyNet North West, a low carbon and hydrogen energy project expected to drive UK net zero. Inovyn is a partner, and its storage technology infrastructure will support low-carbon energy for the North West of England and North Wales.

Wouter Bleukx, Hydrogen Business Manager at Inovyn, said: “Hydrogen is an important part of a climate neutral economy that has been discussed for decades. As hydrogen becomes available for zero carbon transportation as well as many applications in the home and in industry, Ineos is uniquely placed to support new opportunities, driven by emerging demand for affordable zero-carbon energy sources.”

Through Inovyn, Ineos is already Europe’s largest existing operator of electrolysis, which is a critical technology needed to produce green hydrogen for industry, transport, and power. Last year, Ineos launched a new clean hydrogen business as part of Inovyn, to build and develop capacity for clean hydrogen across Europe.