Green light for £21m Scottish plastic-to-hydrogen plant

Plans for a £20m facility in West Dunbartonshire that will turn plastic waste into hydrogen have been approved.

West Dunbartonshire Council has given the green light for the site at Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde.

The plant, which will take an estimated 15 months to construct, will be the second of its kind in the UK.

The plans were lodged by Peel NRE, which is part of Peel L&P.

Peel said the facility would use new technology to create a local source of sustainable hydrogen from non-recyclable plastics otherwise destined for landfill, incineration or export overseas.

The hydrogen will be used as a clean fuel for HGVs, buses and cars, with plans for a linked hydrogen refuelling station on the site.

It follows a move by the UK government to double its hydrogen production capacity target by 2030 as part of the recently-published Energy Security Strategy.

Peel NRE development director Richard Barker said: "The facility will address the dual challenge of both tackling our problem plastic whilst creating hydrogen, a sustainable fuel for future generations.

"Whilst the focus must remain on removing plastic from society, there are still end-of-life plastics that need managing.

"The £20m plant will play a pivotal role in making the best use of non-recyclable material, with the resulting hydrogen able to help cut carbon emissions from vehicles."

According to Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish households alone produce about 220,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year for collection by local authorities at the kerbside.

Peel NRE is due to start constructing its first plastic-to-hydrogen facility at a site in Cheshire later this year.

It has signed a collaboration agreement with Powerhouse Energy Group to develop 11 such facilities across the UK over the next few years, with the option of exclusive rights for a total of 70 facilities.