HyNet welcomes leading aluminum recycler Novelis to join their low carbon hydrogen mission

Novelis, one of the leading producers of flat-rolled aluminum products and the world's largest aluminum recycler, has joined hands with HyNet low carbon clusters. Novelis is one of the 24 major employers in the North West to work together with HyNet. Apart from this, other industries like the automotive sector, food, glass, ceramics, and paper.

The Novelis plant was built in 1991 at Latchfors Lockw and is considered as one of the leading aluminum recycler in the world. They have the capacity to recycle almost every aluminium cans sold in the United Kingdom, which is equivalent to around 117,000 tonnes every year.

HyNet decarbonisation cluster is located across the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester Combined Authority areas and also in places like Wrexham, Cheshire, Warrington, and Flintshire. HyNet will be providing low carbon hydrogen to pump up businesses and heat home throughout the region. This will be a great way to replace fossil fuel from the beginning of 2025.

The use of low carbon hydrogen technology will help in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It will also help UK achieve their Net Zero journey as well as produce low carbon products, making it more suitable for the business and its customers.

All the companies have signed a, “Memorandum of Understanding,” (MoU) with the aim of receiving future network connection and supply of hydrogen from the HyNet project.

“We are proud to be helping such a diverse range of businesses cut emissions. The interest in HyNet from industry shows how much this project is needed. HyNet aims to begin producing hydrogen from the mid 2020’s, giving these businesses a route to decarbonise quickly,” says David Parkin, the Project Director of HyNet.

HyNet is located near both the existing infrastructure and the natural assets needed to produce and store hydrogen. Most of the people in the North West region of UK are from the manufacturing sector and has the skill base as well as determination to place UK at the heart of the hydrogen economy.

“HyNet presents North West England and North Wales with a fantastic opportunity. There is a high demand for low carbon hydrogen from businesses across the region. We have big ambitions to hit net zero from 2038. To do this we need the Government to support HyNet, levelling up from North to South, East to West,” added Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

According to Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, “I’m determined to put the Liverpool City Region at the heart of the green industrial revolution. With our existing strengths in green energy, we have the opportunity to become the UK’s renewable energy coast, and HyNet, has the potential to reduce emissions across the North West by 25 per cent, will have a big part to play in that. And our region is central to the HyNet project. From recent trials in St Helens to upcoming ones on the Wirral, we’re doing our bit to pioneer new, industry-altering technology that will massively green our region, and set the standard for others to follow.”

HyNet ran the “global first,” trail using hydrogen to produce sheet (‘float’) glass using hydrogen at Pilkington Glass in St. Helens. They are also planning to carry out a similar initiative at Unilever’s Port Sunlight manufacturing facility.