INEOS takes a huge step forward in delivering its plans for a world-scale low-carbon hydrogen plant at Grangemouth as it awards a key contract for the design of the plant to Atkins.
The hydrogen plant, expected to be operational by 2030, will further reduce emissions from the site by 1million tonnes per year as the site targets net zero by 2045. In developing a hydrogen hub at Grangemouth we will be supporting other end users of this low-carbon fuel source to reduce their carbon footprints too.
Colin Pritchard, Sustainability Director at INEOS Grangemouth: “The construction of our hydrogen plant is a vital component to delivering our net zero road map at Grangemouth and an enabler for others to reduce their footprints too. Alongside our support and active involvement in the Scottish Cluster (Carbon Capture and Storage) and the Forth Green Freeport, INEOS is at the forefront of actions and investments to reduce carbon emissions in Central Scotland.

INEOS is today announcing a huge step forward in its drive to deliver sustainable net zero manufacturing operations with the awarding of a contract to Atkins, a member of the SNC Lavalin Group, to design a world scale low carbon hydrogen plant at its site in Grangemouth. The new hydrogen plant, slated for operation in 2030, will see INEOS remove more than 1million tonnes of carbon emissions from its already improving performance since it acquired the site in 2005* and comes on top of other significant investments at its site in Grangemouth. Fundamental to INEOS’ Hydrogen project will be access to the Scottish Cluster carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure. The CO2 from the hydrogen plant will be sent directly offshore to be permanently and safely stored in rock formations deep below the North Sea. In addition to the Scottish Cluster we are actively involved in the Forth Green Freeport bid, which if successful, will further support the early development of our hydrogen production facility and our ambitions to achieve greater than 60% carbon reduction by 2030 on the road to our net zero commitment by 2045. Net Zero & Energy Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Scotland has the resources, the people and the ambition to become a world leader in hydrogen production – for both domestic use and for export to Europe. It will play an increasingly important role in supporting our just transition to a net zero economy and deliver good, green jobs for our highly skilled workforces. “Low-carbon hydrogen meanwhile offers a route for our critical industrial sector to decarbonise, and I welcome this latest step in INEOS’ road map to cut emissions, and their continued investment into the sustainability of our largest manufacturing site. The plan clearly demonstrates how important carbon capture technology will be to the sector’s energy transformation over the coming decades and the Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to accelerate the Scottish Cluster’s place in its cluster sequencing process, while standing ready with our own support to help deliver this vital technology.” Colin Pritchard, INEOS’ Sustainability Director at Grangemouth said, “Atkins is a world-renowned engineering company with the skilled and experienced people to deliver this next phase in our ambitions to develop a hydrogen production hub at Grangemouth. The construction of our hydrogen plant is a vital component of our sustainability road map, underpinning plans for net zero manufacturing operations at Grangemouth. We will displace hydrocarbon-based fuels in our processes with clean low-carbon hydrogen and establish a hydrogen hub to enable others to benefit and reduce their emissions too. Alongside our support and active involvement in the Forth Green Freeport bid and the Scottish Cluster (carbon capture and storage) project, INEOS is at the forefront of actions and investments to reduce emissions in Central Scotland.” David Cole, Market Director - Net Zero Energy, Atkins SNC Lavalin, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to deliver the design phase of INEOS’ low carbon hydrogen plant. Hydrogen has the potential to play an important role in industrial decarbonisation: our team has global experience in the technology and we look forward to working with INEOS to bring this element of their net zero road map closer to realisation.” In January 2022, INEOS announced its plans to move forwards with the construction of a Low-Carbon Hydrogen Manufacturing Plant with an invitation to companies to bid for the design of the plant.

About INEOS at Grangemouth

Grangemouth represents one of INEOS’ largest manufacturing sites by volume of products. It is home to three businesses: INEOS FPS, INEOS O&P UK and Petroineos. FPS transports crude oil and gas liquids from offshore and onshore entry points, processes the liquids at Kinneil and redelivers to the customer Forties Blend crude oil at Hound Point and either raw gas or fractionated gas products at Grangemouth. INEOS O&P UK makes around 1.4 million tonnes per annum of product, including synthetic ethanol, ethylene, propylene and polymers: polyethylene and polypropylene. These are used as the building blocks in many sectors such as pharmaceutical and healthcare, automotive, renewables and construction; converted into everyday items that enhance our daily lives and improve standards of living. Petroineos’ Grangemouth site is home to Scotland’s only crude oil refinery and produces the bulk of fuels used in Scotland, with markets in Northern England and Northern Ireland. *Since INEOS took over the Grangemouth site in 2005 we have reduced our carbon emissions by 37% and plan, via the first stage of our road map, to increase this reduction to greater than 60% by 2030 as part of our commitment to net zero by 2045.

About Atkins

Atkins, a member of the SNC Lavalin Group, is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 19,000 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe. The Group has expertise and capability across the complete hydrogen value chain, from concept to construction and project delivery, across production, distribution, storage and utilisation.

INEOS Awards Contract to Atkins to Design Its World Scale Low Carbon Hydrogen Plant at Grangemouth