Prototype hydrogen power plant in Bassetlaw given green light to test process

The innovative Government-backed scheme is designed to test the concept of turning ammonia gas into hydrogen gas on a small scale.

The plant will be built where a cooling tower once stood on the former High Marnham Power Station, before it was demolished.

Applicant JG Pears was one of 11 to receive cash from the Government’s first round of funding for hydrogen projects in December.

Bassetlaw Council’s planning committee gave it the go-ahead on February 7.

Alistair Collins, JG Pears’ operations director, said: “We are in an energy crisis and need to move away from carbon energy as soon as possible.

“This research and development project has been partly-funded by the Government’s Innovate UK scheme to test ammonia cracking on a small scale.

“We will secure all of the relevant Health & Safety Executive and Environment Agency permits before any work goes ahead.”

The ‘cracking’ process sees ammonia heated and broken into hydrogen – a possible greener fuel of the future – and harmless nitrogen gas.

The plant will produce 200kg of hydrogen per week, equivalent to around three tankloads.

The plant is small in scale and capable of producing 9.3MW per year – meaning the hydrogen produced each day would be enough to power a small fleet of gas-powered buses.

If successful, the systems and technology at the site could be scaled up elsewhere and go towards meeting the UK’s targets for renewable energy.

However, there was concern from parish councillors about development on the former power plant.

Dunham & District parish councillor Rachel Bean said: “We are in favour of renewable energy and know the site will be redeveloped at some point.

“However, we don’t believe the number of HGV movements will be minimal, as the developer claims.

“Every house here is close to the road, and there is a cumulative impact from so many vehicles on these twisty village roads.”

Parish councillor Ben Lee added: “To approve this because there was a power station here 20 years ago would be like not serving me at a bar because I was once underage.”

Nine of the committee voted in favour, with only Coun Fraser McFarland (Con) against.