Vertex Hydrogen has signed a ‘Heads of Terms’ offtake agreement for low carbon hydrogen with Merseyside glass manufacturer Pilkington UK.
St Helens’ Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group, has led the flat glass sector in the switch towards low carbon fuels, completing two world-first trials of hydrogen being fired in a glass furnace.
The agreement sets Vertex up to supply Pilkington UK with hydrogen as the manufacturer continues to develop low-carbon ways of manufacturing glass.
The NSG Group recently announced an increased level of ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through a re-certified Science Based Target. It follows Pilkington UK marking 70 years since Sir Alistair Pilkington invented the float glass process, a pivotal moment which transformed the glass industry.
Pilkington UK glass products provide a wide range of benefits, from thermally efficient Pilkington K Glass™ S and Pilkington Suncool™, which help control internal building temperatures and save energy, to bird-safe Pilkington AviSafe™ uniquely patterned UV enhanced coating to reduce bird collisions with windows.
Joe Seifert, CEO of Vertex Hydrogen said: “Pilkington has long been admired as an innovator in the glass industry and led a world first trial of flat glass from hydrogen in 2021 at its famous St Helens facility. The offtake agreement is another iconic name in the north west manufacturing region switching to Vertex’s low carbon hydrogen.”
Neil Syder, Managing Director of Pilkington United Kingdom Limited said: “We are fully committed to our NSG Group target of achieving net-zero by 2050. Firing the float glass furnace using hydrogen instead of natural gas is a key part of our strategy to reduce carbon emissions. Decarbonising the glass making process represents a significant challenge so it’s critical that we partner with academics and industry groups, particularly here in the North West.
Vertex is proud to be helping the UK lead the development of low carbon hydrogen production as an integral part of HyNet – the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation cluster. It will help to solve our urgent need to drastically reduce carbon emissions in our manufacturing sector – securing and growing vital industry.
Vertex is:
- Delivering an initial 1,000 megawatts of low carbon hydrogen capacity – enough to provide the fuel consumed by a city the size of Liverpool;
- Capturing 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year at full capacity – equivalent to taking 750,000 cars off the roads;
- Investing around £1 billion in the North West of the UK and facilitating the investment of a further £1 billion or more of associated infrastructure;
- Playing a leading role in kickstarting the UK low carbon, large scale hydrogen market.
ENDS
Media contacts
Amy Bodey, Head of Communications, Progressive Energy: amy.bodey@progressive-energy.com +447754 852979
Michelle Lewis, Director of Corporate Affairs, Essar Oil UK: michelle.lewis@essaroil.co.uk +447805 85416
About Vertex Hydrogen
Vertex Hydrogen is a leading player in the energy transition which is developing the first large scale, low carbon hydrogen production hub in the UK. This will produce (in its initial phases) 1GW of hydrogen capacity (enough to power a city like Liverpool) and capture some 1.8 million tonnes of carbon per annum (equivalent to taking 750,000 cars off the roads).
By 2030, Vertex expect to deliver nearly 4GW of low carbon hydrogen – 40% of the UK Government’s national target. The organisation is investing an expected £1bn in the UK’s largest industrial region (the North-West) to enable businesses to switch from fossil fuels to low carbon energy, helping to secure and grow vital industries and jobs and unlocking billions of pounds of related investment.
An integral part of HyNet, one of two of the UK Government’s Track 1 clusters for industrial decarbonisation that was included in the UK Government’s Plan for Growth, Vertex has been selected as one of four hydrogen projects to proceed to the due diligence phase in the Phase-2 Cluster Sequencing Process by the UK Government.
About Pilkington United Kingdom Limited (part of NSG Group)
The NSG Group is the world’s leading supplier of glass and glazing systems in the business areas of Architectural, Automotive and Creative Technology.
Architectural manufactures and supplies architectural glass as well as glass for the solar energy and other sectors. Automotive serves the original equipment (OE) and aftermarket replacement (AGR) glazing markets. Creative Technology comprises several discrete businesses, including lenses and light guides for printers and scanners, and speciality glass fibre products such as glass cord for timing belts and glass flake.
For more information about NSG Group visit: www.nsg.com
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