RWE granted planning approval for South Wales green hydrogen plant

The plant will consist of a 100 - 110MWe electrolyser plant capable of producing around two tonnes of hydrogen per hour as well as associated infrastructure including a 1.5km pipeline to connect to nearby industry. 

The project is anticipated to reduce carbon emissions from local industrial activities by approximately 93,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to removing 18,600 cars from the road every year.

This planning approval is a critical step toward the realisation of the Pembroke Green Hydrogen plant. It also lays the foundation for the next phases of the project, including securing government funding and finalising financial investment decisions.

Sopna Sury, Chief Operating Officer for Hydrogen at RWE Generation, said: “With this approval, Wales is positioned at the forefront of the green hydrogen revolution, placing hydrogen at the heart of the energy transition and driving forward innovation in renewable energy….While the UK energy sector has made great progress toward decarbonisation, certain industrial processes remain dependent on fossil fuels and cannot be electrified. Green hydrogen provides a vital solution for these industries, and Pembroke Green Hydrogen represents a significant step toward achieving the UK Government’s target of 10GW of green hydrogen capacity by 2030.”

Green hydrogen is a key plank of the of the UK government’s clean energy strategy and RWE’s Pembroke project is one of a number of similar initiatives across the UK. In the autumn budget Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed £2 billion funding for 11 separate projects.   

The project is also one of a number of new initiatives being proposed for the Pembroke site that are  being led through RWE’s Pembroke Net Zero Centre. These include the proposed development of a 350 MW battery storage system to smooth out the variability of renewables; the implementation of CCS technology at Pembroke’s existing natural-gas fired Power Station and efforts to drive the deployment of floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea.