Global food giant Kraft Heinz has reached an agreement with Carlton Power to explore plans to develop a £40m green hydrogen scheme to help decarbonise its food processing plant in Wigan. Both companies made the announcement today.
The proposal would install a 20MW green hydrogen electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity at the Kit Green manufacturing plant, one of Europe's largest food processing plants and one of Kraft Heinz's largest facilities in the world. I will do it.
The green hydrogen project is envisioned to meet at least half of the energy needs of the factory, which produces 250,000 tonnes of food per year and employs around 850 staff, and could reduce the factory's carbon footprint by around 16,000 tonnes per year. There is.
“The agreement with Carlton Power is an important step in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions, reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and meet the global goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. ” said President Jojo Lins de Noronha. Kraft Heinz Nordic. “We are excited to partner to develop our first renewable hydrogen energy project on a global scale and look forward to more projects like this in the future.”
The companies estimate that the hydrogen project could be operational by 2026. However, it stressed that construction of the project would be conditional on securing financial support from the UK Government's second hydrogen allocation funding round, launched last year to support industrial hydrogen projects.
Therefore, under the agreement announced today, Kraft Heinz and Carlton Power said they will spend the next 12 to 18 months applying for planning permission, grants and government support for the project.
If approved, it will be Carlton Power's fifth green hydrogen project in the UK and the third to be developed in the North West of England. Several of Carlton Power's other green hydrogen projects have secured government funding through previous hydrogen allocation rounds.
Eric Adams, hydrogen project director at Carlton Power, said: “It's important that projects like this go ahead to help UK businesses, particularly manufacturing, reduce their carbon footprint and reach net zero.” Stated.
Several local politicians have expressed support for the project, including Labour's shadow international development secretary and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy.
“The transition to net zero is essential to protect local jobs and protect the environment,” she said. “It is a sign of confidence in Wigan that Heinz has named Kitt Green as their first investment destination and we look forward to working with them and the local community to develop this pioneering project. ”
Don't forget to enter your entries for this year's UK Green Business Awards ahead of the March 1st deadline.
