Substantial hydrogen-from-waste plant approved for Thames Freeport

A new £200 million hydrogen production facility using residual waste is set to be built at the Tilbury Tax Site within the Thames Freeport.

The project, delivered by Chinook Hydrogen and backed by investors from the Middle East, aims to produce up to 12 tonnes of carbon-negative hydrogen a day for road transport and industrial use.

The plant, which could be operational by 2028, will convert waste that would otherwise go to landfill into low-carbon hydrogen, cutting more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. It will also reduce methane emissions typically released from decomposing landfill waste, contributing further to climate goals. The facility’s innovative modular gasification technology has been designed to avoid major hazard regulations, streamlining its approval process.

Image ©Chinook Hydrogen

This investment marks the first phase of a broader £1bn plan to establish a national corridor of green hydrogen production sites across the UK’s road network. The corridor aims to support decarbonisation efforts for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), light goods vehicles (LGVs) and cars, facilitating the rollout of hydrogen refuelling stations and ultra-fast hydrogen chargers.

As the UK pushes towards its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, developing a domestic hydrogen production capacity is seen as vital for heavy transport and industry, sectors that are harder to electrify fully. This latest investment underlines growing confidence in hydrogen’s potential role in the energy transition and the burgeoning green economy.

The Thames Freeport site, located on the north bank of the River Thames east of London, is one of several designated freeports across the country aiming to attract investment by offering tariff advantages and simplified customs procedures to stimulate regional economic growth. This hydrogen project adds a significant sustainable energy dimension to the area’s development plans.

Rifat Chalabi, Executive Chairman of Chinook Hydrogen, said: “By converting non-recyclable waste into clean hydrogen, we tackle the twin challenges of waste and decarbonisation in one stroke. Thames Freeport provides the ideal launchpad for this scalable solution to power sustainable industrial growth across the UK.”

Thames Freeport chair Ruth Kelly said: “This is the kind of strategic, future-focused investment our Freeport Strategy sets out to attract. Chinook’s commitment shows how Freeports can spark new industries, unlock global capital and build a greener, more resilient UK economy.”

For more information, visit www.thamesfreeport.com and www.chinookhydrogen.com.