GeoPura and Forth Ports have agreed a 10‑year deal to build a commercial-scale green hydrogen production facility at the Port of Tilbury, in Essex.
The initial plant will have an electrolyser capacity of about 1MW and is intended to produce hydrogen, using electricity from rooftop solar. Construction work for the facility is intended to begin this year.
Its construction and development is being supported by a £2M seed investment from Thames Freeport and is aimed at reducing emissions from port machinery and HGVs, and establishing Tilbury as one of the first major UK ports to host low‑carbon hydrogen production for heavy industrial use.
Earlier this year, GeoPura was selected to supply what has been described as the largest volume of green hydrogen ever produced for a UK construction project for use on the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC).
Under the agreement, GeoPura will provide 2,500t of green hydrogen during the main construction phase of the new road and tunnel scheme.
The company said this volume is sufficient to replace more than 12M litres of diesel and could cut around 30,000t of CO2 emissions compared with fossil fuels. The hydrogen will be delivered as a managed service, including storage and on‑site distribution to equipment.
GeoPura’s new production facility at the Port of Tilbury will be within close range of LTC and also forms part of a wider push to decarbonise logistics and construction activity in the Thames Estuary.
Tilbury handles millions of tonnes of cargo annually and uses a variety of diesel‑fired equipment such as reach stackers, forklifts and heavy trucks, which could be decarbonised with the use of green hydrogen.
The UK government has a target of reaching net zero by 2050 and industry and government have set an ambition of up to 10GW of low‑carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Forth Ports has set an internal target to reach net zero by 2042.
GeoPura chief executive Andrew Cunningham said: “Following on from our work at HyMarnham Power, where we’re transforming a former coal-fired power station into a large-scale low carbon hydrogen production site, Tilbury is another powerful example of how the UK can use its existing industrial infrastructure to produce renewable fuels for the future.
“It’s great to see the clear commitment of the Port of Tilbury to decarbonise its operations. It’s a perfect location to support hydrogen adoption across the Thames Estuary, improving air quality and creating new high quality clean energy UK jobs.”
Thames Freeport interim chief executive Stuart Rimmer said: “Hydrogen has a clear role in decarbonising heavy industry and logistics.
“By supporting this demonstrator at Tilbury, Thames Freeport is demonstrating clear leadership in this area and helping create the conditions for wider adoption, new investment and skilled jobs across the region.
“This project shows how freeport programmes can bring together industry partners to test and scale new technologies in real operating environments.”
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