Essar to install hydrogen-ready furnace at Stanlow refinery
Oil and gas company spends $61mn on UK’s first 100pc hydrogen-fuelled refinery furnace at industrial complex in northeast England
Oil and gas company Essar is investing £45mn ($61mn) in the UK’s first refinery-based furnace capable of running on 100pc hydrogen. Installation of the furnace at the Stanlow refining complex in northwest England is subject to planning approval but is expected to start this year, with full operation scheduled for 2023. The furnace will initially run on natural gas but, from 2026, will source its fuel from a blue hydrogen plant under development at Stanlow by Vertex Hydrogen, a joint venture between Essar and technology company Progressive Energy. The blue hydrogen plant is part of a £1bn investment by Essar over the next five years and forms a central element of the Hynet North West decarbon

Also in this section
25 July 2025
Oil major cites strategy reset as it walks away from Australian Renewable Energy Hub, leaving partner InterContinental Energy to lead one of world’s largest green hydrogen projects
23 July 2025
Electrolysis seen as most leakage-prone production pathway as study warns of sharp increase through 2030 and beyond
22 July 2025
The gas-hungry sector is set for rapid growth, and oil majors and some of the world’s largest LNG firms are investing in ammonia production and export facilities, though much depends on regulatory support
16 July 2025
Major manufacturer cancels rollout of new hydrogen-powered vans and strengthens focus on battery electric and hybrid markets