INEOS, a leading chemical company, has completed a £30 million investment at its manufacturing site in Hull, transitioning the facility to operate on hydrogen instead of natural gas. This conversion is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 75%. Located on the UK’s east coast, the INEOS Acetyls business in Hull is Europe’s largest producer of acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and ethyl acetate. Acetic acid is widely used in producing food preservatives, ink, pharmaceuticals, household cleaning products, textiles, paints, and packaging. The reduction in carbon emissions at the plant will assist manufacturers in addressing their supply chain emissions.
Hydrogen is considered crucial for transitioning to a cleaner energy future, especially in industrial and transport sectors where emissions are challenging to reduce, and renewable energy solutions like wind or solar are less feasible. However, sourcing hydrogen without generating greenhouse gas emissions during production is difficult, as most hydrogen is extracted using fossil fuels, which produce pollutants and emissions.
INEOS states that the hydrogen now utilised at the site is produced as a co-product from existing manufacturing processes. The company believes this model can be replicated industry-wide. INEOS has implemented a company-wide greenhouse gas management system to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This investment is part of a broader strategy to decarbonise operations across the UK and Europe. The Hull project is one of several decarbonisation initiatives underway at INEOS sites.
David Brooks, CEO of INEOS Acetyls, stated, “Like most chemical businesses in the UK, we are working hard to compete in global markets while facing some of the highest energy and carbon costs in the world. This investment is another step in our plans to supply the UK and European markets with highly reliable and low carbon products.”
