EI-H2, Zenith Have Plans for Major Irish 'Green Hydrogen' Hub

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--U.S. terminals major Zenith Energy Holdings LLC (Brooklyn, New York) has joined forces with Ireland's EI-H2 (Cork) to develop a 3.2-gigawatt (GW) green energy facility at Bantry Bay, in County Cork, to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia.

The new facility in southern Ireland, when fully operational, has the potential to reduce Irish carbon emissions by 2.4 million tonnes per year--equivalent to the carbon produced by a quarter of all Irish homes. The companies are conducting a detailed feasibility study to explore the project's full potential.

The news comes just weeks after Industrial Info reported on EI-H2's plan to build Ireland's first green hydrogen facility in Aghada, also in County Cork. It will invest 120 million euro (US$147 million) to build the 50-megawatt (MW) electrolysis plant, which will be capable of supplying more than 20 tonnes of hydrogen per day to the commercial market. It will use available renewable energy to power the plant. The proposed site in the lower harbour area was chosen because of its proximity to a nexus of energy generation facilities including a power plant, heavy industrial plant and an oil refinery. Hydrogen will be added to the existing gas supply system to allow local businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. It is expected to remove 63,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually from Irish industry and power generation. For additional information, see June 8, 2021, article - Ireland's First Green Hydrogen Project Revealed.

The venture will operate alongside Zenith Energy's existing Bantry Bay Terminal. It will start with the 50-MW facility being planned by EI-H2, which it claims can be expanded to 2.7 GW. The second phase involves the construction of a 500-MW green ammonia facility using the green hydrogen from the first phase.

Ellen Ruhotas, Managing Director of Zenith Energy, said, "This partnership is an excellent opportunity for our Bantry operations, for the local community and for Ireland as a country. For many years now, our Whiddy Island operation has supported the security of Ireland's energy supply. This new joint venture will see Zenith Energy take a pioneering role in the development of a new green energy industry for Ireland. Critically, our green hydrogen and green ammonia production plans align with Government and EU policy for meeting the region's 2050 climate action goals."

Pearse Flynn, founder of EI-H2, added: "Ireland is on the cusp of a genuine green revolution. Instead of waiting for someone else to decarbonise our country, we are looking to develop domestic ways of making a real difference. With a renewable source of offshore wind and water, we can produce real fuel alternatives to help industry and commercial customers reduce their carbon footprint. The expertise of Zenith Energy, and their existing facility at Bantry Bay, makes for an ideal partnership--Ireland needs to think big to realise its green potential, and this project is of the scale required to develop this new industry."

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