Hydrogen plant set to revive Chapelcross nuclear site

A UK hydrogen developer is planning to build an electrolysis plant at the site of a former nuclear power station in Scotland.

Green Cat Hydrogen is launching a public consultation on plans to build the plant on land surrounding the Chapelcross nuclear plant in Annan which shutdown in 2004. It says the project could create 50 high-skilled jobs during operation and 150 jobs during construction.

The plant would use electricity to split water and produce around 4,000 t/y of hydrogen. This would be compressed and transported by tube trailer trucks to local users, including food and drink producers, to decarbonise their operations.

Work is underway on the preliminary engineering and environmental studies for the project, and a planning application is being prepared.

Company CEO Gavin Catto said: “Green hydrogen is especially well-placed to solve the decarbonisation challenge faced in hard-to-electrify sectors.”

Last year, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) published a plan for developing the land surrounding Chapelcross into a hub for hydrogen production and advanced manufacturing in a bid to kickstart the local economy and create high value jobs.

Catto added: “The project represents a significant contribution to the transformation of Chapelcross into a major hub for this exciting new technology.”

The partners and local authorities managing the site’s restoration have promoted its existing links to the power grid, the region’s ample supply of renewable energy, and surrounding commuter towns.

Jane Morrison-Ross, CEO of South of Scotland Enterprise, said: “We know that Chapelcross is perfectly placed in the middle of the UK, and its history and future reflect the importance of innovation in energy production.”

Chapelcross nuclear power station was the first built in Scotland. Constructed on the 92-hectare site of a World War Two training airfield, it started generating power in 1959. The station ceased operation in 2004. Its cooling towers were demolished in 2007 and the fuel removed from its four reactors in 2013. The site is scheduled to be fully decommissioned and cleared by 2095.