Essar Group to invest $3.6 billion in energy transition in the UK and India

Essar Group on Monday announced the formation of Essar Energy Transition (EET) to drive the creation of the UK’s leading energy transition hub in North West England.

EET, the group said, plans to invest a total of $3.6 billion in developing a range of low carbon energy transition projects over the next five years, of which $2.4 billion will be invested across its site at Stanlow, between Liverpool and Manchester and $1.2 billion in India, the company said in an official statement.

"EET’s ambitious investment plans will not only help deliver the UK’s net zero ambitions and the enormous environmental benefits therein, but will also secure the long-term sustainable future for Stanlow, protecting and creating new highly skilled job opportunities at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse economy for generations to come," Tony Fountain, managing partner, Essar Energy Transition, said.

The investments, across a range of hydrogen production technologies, decarbonisation, biofuels (road and aviation), and infrastructure projects, will contribute to North West England quickly becoming one of the leading post-carbon industrial clusters in Europe, the group said.

As per the group, these investments will support the reduction of around 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, around 20 per cent of the total industrial emissions in North West England.

EET will include -- Essar Oil UK, the company’s refining and marketing business in North West England; Vertex Hydrogen, which is developing 1 gigawatt (GW) of blue hydrogen for the UK market with follow-on capacity set to reach 3.8 GW; and EET Future Energy, which is developing 1 GW of green ammonia in India, targeted at UK and international markets.

Furthermore, EET will also include Stanlow Terminals Ltd, which is developing enabling storage and pipeline infrastructure; and EET Biofuels, which is investing in developing 1 MT of low carbon biofuels.

EET’s investment programme will play a major role in accelerating the UK’s low carbon transformation, supporting the government’s decarbonisation policy and creating highly skilled employment opportunities at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse economy, the company said.

'Investing in new forward-looking assets'

The other sustainability investments planned by the Essar Group beyond EET include the creation of an LNG value chain in India, including LNG truck manufacturing and LNG fuel stations, setting up a pellet plant in Odisha, in eastern India and a 4-million tonnes per annum green steel complex at Ras-Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia.

"EET’s strategy is founded on the fact that hydrogen and biofuels are fast becoming globally significant fuels of the future and that the UK is positioned strongly to spearhead the rapid growth of the European low carbon fuels market," Essar Group added in the press statement.

In addition to the $2.4 billion investment in the UK, EET will also invest $1.2 billion in developing a cost-efficient global supply hub for low carbon fuels in India, including green hydrogen and green ammonia.  Ammonia will be shipped from India to the UK, Europe and globally to meet expanding market demand for green hydrogen.

"EET’s investment in India will help deliver on the country’s emerging hydrogen ambition. The Indian government’s supportive regulatory framework is designed to help position the country as a leading global hub of green hydrogen production and exports, as set out in its National Green Hydrogen Mission, approved by the Indian government on 4 January 2023," the company said.

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