The partnership agreement will support the development of Carlton Power’s proposed Stirling Green Hydrogen scheme and reduce Superglass’s reliance on natural gas.
Secured demand for hydrogen at Stirling will underpin the initial development of a 10 MW electrolyser, expected to produce approximately 1,000 tonnes of green hydrogen every year, reducing 7,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Carlton Power anticipates hydrogen demand in the area to increase significantly in the near term and will develop the project in such a way that additional capacity can be added. The hydrogen will be produced by an electrolyser using electricity that is generated from sources of renewable energy, primarily wind and solar power.
The scheme is to be located at Polmaise, close to Superglass’s manufacturing plant on the Thistle Industrial Estate in Stirling. The Superglass plant, which completed a £37m upgrade in 2019, produces around 60,000 tonnes of glass wool insulation annually and employs 200 people.
The hydrogen hub facility will support the growth of renewable electricity generation by utilising it to produce and store hydrogen at times when renewable output is high but demand is low.
Eric Adams, Hydrogen Projects Director at Carlton Power, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Superglass to bring forward our Stirling Green Hydrogen hub; it will help Superglass achieve its sustainability goals and support Scotland’s decarbonisation strategy. It is critical that projects such as this are brought forward to support investment by local companies in their operations that can reduce their carbon emissions.”
Theresa McLean, Chief Executive of Superglass, said: “Carlton Power’s experience in hydrogen and wider energy project development in the UK is first-class, and so we are very pleased to be working with them to develop the Stirling scheme.”
“Superglass’s operations are already very energy efficient – our glass wool insulation is made from up to 84% recycled glass and is estimated to save around 300 times the amount of energy used to manufacture it – but we know that we must do more.
“We need to make the transition from fossil-based fuels to hydrogen in order to cut our carbon emissions. The Stirling Green Hydrogen scheme will be an important step forward for not only our company, but the community in which we operate.”
Stirling is part of a portfolio of green hydrogen schemes being developed by Carlton Power and, subject to planning consent and a final investment decision within the next 12–18 months, it wuld be owned by the Green Hydrogen Energy Company (GHECO), Carlton’s new joint venture company with Schroders Greencoat.
Carlton Power, Superglass and GHECO would like to see the green hydrogen hub in operation in 2026, but its construction is contingent on securing local planning and financial support from the UK Government.
