Chinook Hydrogen to build £200m waste-to-hydrogen plant at Thames Freeport
A £200 million private investment will see a new hydrogen-from-waste plant built at Thames Freeport by Chinook Hydrogen, forming the first stage of a planned £1 billion UK-wide hydrogen corridor for HGV refuelling and clean industrial use.
The Tilbury-based facility, backed by Middle Eastern capital, will convert non-recyclable waste into up to 12 tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen per day.
The company says the process will avoid more than 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and meet the UK’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard.
Expected to be operational by 2028, the plant will be located on the Tilbury Tax Site and is designed to operate outside of COMAH regulations, and thus reducing red tape, thanks to minimal on-site hydrogen storage.
Powering a national hydrogen corridor
The project is the first in a broader national plan led by Chinook Hydrogen to deliver multiple hydrogen production hubs across the UK road network.
The next facility is set for Doncaster and will include a 5 tonne-per-day hydrogen-from-waste unit with integrated refuelling infrastructure and off-grid, hydrogen-powered ultra-fast chargers for electric vehicles.
Together, the sites form the early backbone of what Chinook describes as a “national hydrogen corridor” aimed at decarbonising road freight and reducing supply chain emissions.
Carbon-negative hydrogen from residual waste
Chinook’s patented modular gasification process converts residual waste – material otherwise destined for landfill – into hydrogen with net-negative emissions.
The company says its process also avoids the methane typically released by landfill, improving environmental performance further.
The Tilbury facility is expected to create over 150 skilled jobs across engineering, operations, logistics, and clean technology.
Freeports as hydrogen launchpads
“This is the kind of strategic, future-focused investment our Freeport Strategy sets out to attract,” said Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Chair of Thames Freeport. “Chinook’s commitment shows how Freeports can spark new industries, unlock global capital and build a greener, more resilient UK economy.”
Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson CBE said the project aligns with the UK’s clean growth strategy: “It’s great to see this investment will not only deliver cutting-edge low carbon hydrogen technology but create 150 new skilled jobs… Thames Freeport provides the perfect environment for this initiative to get started.”
Chinook Hydrogen’s Executive Chairman Dr Rifat Chalabi added: “By converting non-recyclable waste into clean hydrogen, we tackle the twin challenges of waste and decarbonisation in one stroke.”
First node in a broader network
The plant is designed with scalability in mind. Chinook has not yet named its logistics or offtake partners, but the Tilbury facility will be the first node in what the company calls a distributed national network for HGV refuelling and industrial hydrogen use.
Further details on the timing and siting of other corridor nodes have not been announced.
