Consultation event for Haverton Hill plant after concerns raised

Protium Green Hydrogen Supply Ltd applied for planning permission to build a hydrogen production facility at the Haverton Hill Industrial Estate off Port Clarence Road, Billingham. The developer says it expects “no significant impacts”, but the proposal has met with some objections and “serious reservations” from councillors and residents.

Now a community consultation event will be held at the Port Clarence Community Centre, Port Clarence Road from 4 to 8pm on Wednesday, April 29. Neighbours have been told it will be an informal drop-in session to learn more, speak with the project team, ask questions, share feedback and “understand the benefits this project could bring to the area”.

Principal planner Francesca Wray says in a design and access statement from the developer’s agent, Sirius Planning Ltd: “The proposed development provides a multi-million-pound investment into the region, making Teesside a driver of green hydrogen.”

She said the proposed “Pioneer 3” would produce up to 1.8 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, to be transported to regional customers. She said it would significantly increase the production of green hydrogen, described as an alternative carbon-free fuel created using renewable energy, to meet increasing demand.

The company says it will cut about 6,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, the equivalent of planting 240,000 trees or taking 3,200 cars off the roads. The plans say the proposed compound, with 2.4m-high security fencing, will be of “minimal scale” needing “minimal construction” lasting up to four months, with equipment delivered to the 1.3-hectare site and containers lifted by crane

The statement says the facility would run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with two shutdowns annually, with “highly specialised employment positions” including four technicians and two supervisors. It would be accessed off the A1046, using a private industrial estate road, with five parking bays, up to 24 vehicle movements per day during construction and up to 26 when running – described as a “negligible” traffic increase.

The developer says with a 4m-high noise barrier it would cause “no significant change in ambient sound levels”. It says there would not be a substantial impact to the landscape’s character, nor harm to air quality or significant environmental effects.

However there have been five objections, raising concerns about “unacceptable risks and impacts” including public safety, industrial noise, “cumulative effect of industrial development on an already vulnerable community”, impact on residents, proximity to homes, shops and a community centre, air quality, light pollution, transport and traffic, and questions over the energy source and whether the hydrogen can be classified as “green” or can contribute to global warming.

One objector said: “The proximity of a hydrogen production and compression facility to family homes raises significant concerns about risk in the event of equipment failure, leakage or fire. The consequences of an incident involving hydrogen can be severe and the short separation distance provides little reassurance to residents.”

Another said: “I am not convinced when the facility is up and running that the noise will be low, in fact I feel it will be like a barking dog day and night removing the peace from my home.

“My house price will also plummet. This hydrogen plant will bring nothing to our lives yet cause unacceptable stress.”

Billingham South Councillor Katie Weston referred to residents’ safety and wellbeing, saying such a plant “demands the highest level of scrutiny”. She said: “We need more than projections, we need enforceable guarantees that noise levels will not harm the local quality of life.”

She said the closure of the Portrack bridge to heavy vehicles would mean more HGVs going through Billingham: “This is already a major concern for residents there, impacting congestion and safety, and this project would exacerbate the problem. Given the outstanding safety questions, the deficient consultation process, and the unmitigated impact on local traffic, I cannot support this application.”

Fellow ward member Cllr Paul Weston said he had concerns about the close proximity to homes, the possible “blast zone”, HGVs, noise levels and their impact on quality of life. Both called for proper, transparent dialogue and consultation on “critical issues”.

Nick Hayward, Protium’s head of projects, said: “Pioneer 3 is a 5MW green hydrogen facility on a site that has stood dormant since 1979, this is brownfield regeneration in action. We take the concerns of local residents seriously, which is why we will be meeting the Port Clarence community next week and why every aspect of this project has been independently assessed against the highest design, quality and safety standards.

“Protium demonstrates operational reality, with trialled, tested, and active green hydrogen production delivering results in South Wales for four years. The technology produces low noise and no odour. Our rigorous independent assessments confirm no adverse impact on local noise levels or road safety.

“We are committed to transparent dialogue. We look forward to addressing residents’ questions directly at next week’s consultation event, and to demonstrating how Pioneer 3 will create lasting jobs, support the local supply chain, and help put Stockton-on-Tees on the map as a sustainability pioneer.”