Phase 1 of the project will be a 2.7GW green hydrogen facility which will be used to produce 500MW of green ammonia in Phase 2 of the project’s development
Ballywater Onshore wind farm in Ireland. Credit: Wikipedia
Zenith Energy and E1-H2 have announced their plans to jointly develop an energy facility that will produce 3.2GW of green hydrogen and ammonia. The plan is to locate the facility in Bantry Bay on Whiddy Island, Ireland where Zenith Energy already has a storage terminal in operation. Bantry Bay is also near several offshore wind farms, the electricity from which will be used to produce the green hydrogen and ammonia. Its location also guarantees commercial viability since it will be one of the largest facilities of its kind with the potential for export.
Expected to be operational by 2028, the facility has the capacity to remove 2.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions from the Irish sky. This is equivalent to the carbon emissions generated by almost 25% of all homes in Ireland. Initially the partners are planning to construct a green hydrogen production facility of 2.7GW capacity. Once this is ready for operations, the second phase will begin. This will be the development of a 500MW green ammonia production facility which will use green hydrogen in its manufacturing process. The entire project will require a year-long feasibility study to assess the project’s potential, essential to secure necessary planning permissions.
Zenith Energy’s Managing Director Ellen Ruhotas said: “The partnership is an excellent opportunity for our Bantry operations, for the local community and for Ireland as a country. 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.”
Pearse Flynn, the Cork-based founder of EI-H2, said: “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.”
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