Hydrogen TE (UK) Ltd (HTE) is seeking planning permission to build the UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen plant in Kent.
If approved by Kent County Council, the firm will create at least 100 new jobs at the £120m plant in Manston, near Ramsgate, by the end of 2027.
The proposed 10-acre site at Manston, which has been designed to blend in with the surrounding Kent countryside, will turn household and commercial waste into hydrogen, vastly reducing the amount of waste currently sent to landfill sites and conventional carbon-producing incineration.
Using a ground-breaking heating process to break down the waste to atomic levels before converting the resulting syngas to clean hydrogen, the plant would create zero to very low emissions and will be virtually self-sustaining with approximately 70 per cent energy recovery.
The plant would directly create at least 100 full-time jobs for the local area. The jobs will be a mixture of skilled, unskilled and graduate roles on the operational side, with approximately 30 additional posts created to facilitate a training and education centre as a showcase for current and future hydrogen projects.
The hydrogen/energy produced at the plant will initially be provided to supply commercial heavy vehicle fleet operators and local authority waste management operations keen on moving away from fossil fuels to meet UK Government net zero targets.
Michael Engsted, managing director of HTE, said: “This area of Kent has seen a huge depletion in jobs over the past few decades, which has forced many skilled workers and graduates to relocate.
“We are determined to help revitalise the local community by giving talented individuals a reason for staying here. We are committed to prioritising local recruitment for positions including finance, engineering and science.”
Michael said the company will create outreach programmes with local schools, colleges and universities to inspire the next generation of potential employees and was committed to supporting charitable organisations, sports groups and other worthy causes in the surrounding area.
“Our technology is clean, safe and pioneering,” he said. “But we need everyone in the community on-side, as it is to them we will look first for employment purposes.
“Hydrogen fuel cells are the future and we are determined to help make it a mainstream form of energy.”
Waste-to-energy production has been around for a number of years, but there are very few operations globally that have perfected the process of creating clean hydrogen rather than electricity.
The supply of hydrogen as a form of fuel has therefore fallen behind the likes of battery vehicles despite its many advantages. The travel range of hydrogen compares favourably with that of fossil fuel vehicles without the damaging carbon footprint, and costs are less than half of the hydrogen produced by electrolysis.
Another advantage of hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the short time it takes to refuel a car, whereas EV batteries take several hours to recharge.
Jeremy Parkin, also managing director at HTE, said the firm had been working very closely with the Health and Safety Executive to ensure the proposed plant satisfies or even exceeds safety regulations.
“We are keen to establish the standard for plants like this, which will one day become a familiar sight across the UK,” he said.
The RICS-accredited chartered surveyor has also worked closely with architects to ensure the plant will look aesthetically appealing.
“We are going above and beyond to make this a plant that Manston and Kent can be immensely proud of,” he said. “We are doing our utmost to make it as self-sufficient as possible by using modern technology to assist with water harvesting and energy production.
“But we are also going the extra distance in terms of aesthetics, planting mature trees and shrubs, creating living walls to encourage local wildlife to flourish.”
Jeremy said that HTE’s future vision was to provide similar plants throughout Britain. Plans are already underway for a second UK site near Newport, Wales.
HTE’s planning application is due to be submitted to Kent County Council in August 2025. Meanwhile, HTE will be planning to hire local venues to showcase its plans for the community and allow the public to raise any questions as part of the ongoing consultation. For further information about the company, visit www.hydrogen-te.com.