Fuel supplier Zenith Energy and EI-H2 have revealed plans for a joint venture to develop a 3200MW project in Ireland to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia.
The partners have commenced a year-long feasibility study before an application for planning permission will be made.
The new facility in Bantry Bay could be operational by 2028, by which time sufficient wind generation from offshore sources will be available to meet the proposed scale of the project, the companies said.
When fully operational the plant has the potential to reduce Irish carbon emissions by 2.4 million tonnes per year, which represents the equivalent of the carbon emissions of a quarter of all Irish homes.
It will operate alongside Zenith Energy’s existing Bantry Bay Terminal and will be one of the largest of its kind in the world.
Bantry Bay was strategically chosen as the location for a facility of this scale given its proximity to some of the most productive off-shore locations for wind-generated electricity, said the companies.
The first phase of the project will see the construction of a scalable green hydrogen production facility, up to 2.7GW in capacity.
The second phase involves the construction of a 500MW green ammonia facility, using the green hydrogen from the first phase.
The green energy produced by the facility will be used both domestically and internationally, providing carbon free alternatives to help reduce the country’s carbon footprint, and to “put Ireland on the green energy export map”.
Zenith Energy managing director Ellen Ruhotas (pictured, left) said: “We are pleased to be involved in this exciting, new joint venture.
“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.”
EI-H2 founder Pearse Flynn (pictured, right) 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 as we begin this journey.
“Ireland needs to think big to realise its green potential, and this project is of the scale required to develop this new industry.”
Zenith Energy owns and operates over five million cubic metres of renewable fuels, crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals and vegetable oil storage across North America, Europe and Latin America.