Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port van plant near Liverpool will be carbon neutral in 2028 after switching to using hydrogen from natural gas, plant director Diane Miller said during a speech at Autocar’s 2023 Great Women awards on Wednesday.
The hydrogen will be supplied as part of the government-funded HyNet scheme, which brings together companies to generate and pipe the low-carbon gas substitute to local homes and businesses.
The so-called ‘blue’ hydrogen is made at the nearby Stanlow oil refinery from natural gas using Johnson Matthey’s LCH method that captures “over 95%” of carbon in the process, according to the company.
Stellantis will use the hydrogen to generate electricity on site.
The factory will start full production of electric compact vans for Stellantis brands, including Vauxhall, in September following a refit after more than 60 years of building cars, most recently the Vauxhall Astra estate. “There’s no point making a green vehicle if your factory is creating [environmental] issues,” Miller told attendees at the awards event, held in Coventry.
Owner Stellantis initially wanted to make the plant energy self-sufficient using wind and solar, the company said back in 2021. However, plans to build a wind farm on the estuary-facing site were halted after the government effectively banned onshore wind turbines.
Chef turned wind farm campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been filming on the Ellesmere Port site for an upcoming TV show highlighting the benefits of onshore wind, Miller told Autocar. The long-term plan is still to move to renewable power, Miller said.
Stellantis spent £100 million overhauling the Ellesmere facility after CEO Carlos Tavares described it as resembling a car plant from the former USSR, Miller said. The plant opened in 1962 and occupies a sprawling site in Cheshire on the banks of the Mersey river.
A nearby port is investing £10 million to create a dock to allow ships to visit twice a week from Spain to deliver parts for Vauxhall, avoiding multiple truck deliveries.
Miller called for more certainty from the government when it comes to backing low-carbon schemes. “We need to know when we’re making investments in green technology that the government is not going to change direction,” Miller said. She also called on the government to match “massive” incentives for industry in France and Spain.
Add your comment