Invest Net Zero Cheshire has produced a portfolio of viable projects that meet the aim of net zero carbon emissions whilst satisfying the energy demands of the area. This blueprint offers long term, sustainable investment opportunities in net zero.
All of the projects are essential to the decarbonisation, sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of the Cheshire and Warrington region. But, with the right public and private sector support, they are also bankable and deliverable.
Following technical and bankability feasibility assessment, capital investment is sought for further feasibility, development or construction expenditure and partners in the short (immediate), medium (up to 5 years) or longer term (5 years+).
Anticipated risk and returns vary depending on the maturity of the technology or asset class, the stage of development achieved to date, timing of availability of the relevant project revenue streams, the level of project-on-project risk associated with enabling infrastructure, amongst other factors.
You can download the Outline Business Case by clicking on the projects below.
Interested in investing in Cheshire’s net zero economy? Visit the Get Involved page.
This large blue-chip manufacturer in the Ellesmere Port region is considering a multi-vector decarbonisation project comprising rooftop solar PV, onsite electric vehicle (“EV”) chargepoints to serve their corporate fleet and staff vehicles and waste heat recovery technologies.
This blue-chip chemical company (“the Company”) are considering onsite production of green hydrogen using ground mounted solar proposed on their available land and additional capacity from other local developers.
Firethorn Trust, an experience developer of, and investor in, logistics warehousing spaces across the UK, are constructing a new logistics warehouse in Ellesmere Port that is looking to deliver low-cost leasing whilst meeting their client’s carbon reduction objectives. Onsite rooftop solar PV generation of up to 5.44 MW will be installed across the site, 3.26 MW of which on three warehouse rooftops, and the remaining 2.18MW on three carports. The majority of power generation is expected to be consumed onsite, with excess power spilled to the grid.
A community and private sector investment opportunity for utility scale ground mounted solar PV generation up to a maximum of c.840MW across 8 sites within the Cheshire West and Cheshire borough ranging between 57MW – 167MW. Power to be exported either by private wire to large, local energy consumers or to the grid via an export connection.
A community and private investment opportunity for utility scale onshore wind generation totalling c.70MW – c.192MW, dependant on whether a 500m or 700m buffer to the nearest residential building is taken, across 5 sites within the Cheshire West and Cheshire borough. Individual projects ranging between 10MW – 53MW. Power to be exported either by private wire to large, local energy consumers or to the grid via an export connection.
Vauxhall Motors are looking to implement a multi-vector decarbonisation project comprising Internet of Things (“IoT”) based demand reduction interventions, onsite wind and solar generation (or a private wire solution) and heat optimisation solutions (boiler replacement and heat recovery).
The University of Chester’s Thornton Science Park is looking to implement a multi-vector energy strategy that secures its energy supply, decarbonises its operations, facilitates decarbonisation of neighbouring businesses and positions Thornton as a centre of energy and future farming excellence. Projects include Internet of Things (“IoT”)-based onsite demand reduction and energy efficiency measures, onsite energy generation and vertical farming (for which it could be an offtaker of locally captured CO2), as well as offtaking heat (for space heating).
Wastewater Treatment Works (“WwTW”) plant conversion to a thermal hydrolysis process (“THP”) to facilitate biomethane production (for grid injection and use in an onsite combined heat and power plant) with, as a proposed second phase, installation of (i) carbon capture equipment on the THP and (ii) an alternative heat source. See also Circular Economy Greenhouse for heat offtake and CO2 reutilisation potential.
The development and construction of an industrial heat network serving, as first phase, anchor demand from Thornton Science Park and tenants at nearby Protos Park with potential for expansion to the surrounding Ellesmere Port area.
The development and construction of an unrecyclable mixed plastics conversion facility at Protos Park, producing high purity syngas which is then converted into hydrogen, electricity and heat.
The development of the UK’s first sustainable multi-fuelling hub (combining retail premises with EV charging, bio-CNG/LNG, hydrogen and potentially e-fuels refuelling infrastructure), located adjacent to the M53 motorway and intending to benefit from private wire electricity from nearby Hooton energy-from-waste plant and connection to the gas grid.
The proposed replacement (by way of purchase or leasing) of Cheshire West and Chester (“CW&C”) Council’s refuse collection vehicle fleet (one of the largest of any local authority in the UK, with up to 76 vehicles earmarked for replacement) and the development and installation of CNG refuelling infrastructure at CW&C Council’s two local depots and/or collocated with (and supplied by) an anaerobic digestion plant at Ellesmere Port.
A portfolio of four regenerative farming-focused, on-farm gas-to-grid anaerobic digestion (“AD”) projects, with carbon capture to be installed as a second phase ready for connection to the HyNet network.
Collective Self-Consumption (CSC) is a local energy model which shares the output of pooled generation assets amongst a group of consumers with the aim of optimising self-consumption within a building or community. The simplest form of collective self-consumption is at the building level, as energy is shared across communal wires and therefore avoids network use of system charges and provided the building network operator is managing a system of <2.5MW it qualifies as a licence exempt supplier.
The development and construction of a sustainable refuelling hub (with one or any combination of EV charging, bio-CNG/LNG refuelling and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure) located at the intersection between the M56-M53 to serve local and transitory HGV, LGV, corporate fleet and public demand, combined with an adjacent private wire (up to 60MW) solar PV plant. See also the Solar PV Portfolio.
Fulcrum BioEnergy Limited’s new bio-refinery facility in Ellesmere Port, their first project in the UK, will convert non-recyclable household waste into sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) for use by airlines operating at UK airports. As part of delivering their NetZero ambitions, Fulcrum are considering a private wire power solution by connecting to nearby solar and wind plants being developed as part of Invest Net Zero Cheshire. See also Solar PV Portfolio.
Development of a multi-site, multi-phase circular economy, greenhouse and vertical farming initiative, backed by a large national vegetable grower. The production yield will be enhanced through the reutilisation of locally captured waste heat and/or CO2 and LED lighting. Power supplied from nearby private wire solar PV projects and CHP.