The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC) has inked a partnership deal with Carlton Power, a leading UK energy infrastructure developer, to explore the establishment of a renewable green hydrogen facility at its Kitt Green manufacturing plant situated in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Kitt Green stands as one of Europe’s largest food processing facilities and one of Kraft Heinz’s major sites worldwide, churning out a staggering quarter of a million tons of food annually while employing around 850 individuals.
The proposed 20MW Kitt Green hydrogen plant, marking Kraft Heinz’s debut in such ventures globally, aims to cater to over 50% of the plant’s yearly natural gas requirements, effectively slashing its carbon emissions by 16,000 tons annually. The hydrogen will be produced through electrolysis, utilizing electricity sourced from renewable energy outlets, primarily wind and solar power.
This endeavor at Kitt Green represents the fifth green hydrogen initiative spearheaded by Carlton Power within the UK.
Eric Adams, Hydrogen Projects Director at Carlton Power, expressed enthusiasm about partnering with Kraft Heinz to spearhead the green hydrogen initiative at Kitt Green, underscoring the significance of such projects in aiding British companies, particularly in manufacturing, in their journey towards carbon neutrality and achieving Net Zero emissions.
Jojo Lins De Noronha, President of Northern Europe at The Kraft Heinz Company, hailed the agreement with Carlton Power as a pivotal stride towards curbing carbon emissions, aligning with the company’s overarching objective of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, with a 50% reduction targeted by 2030. The collaboration marks Kraft Heinz’s maiden foray into renewable hydrogen energy projects on a global scale, with hopes for similar initiatives in the future.
The £40 million Carlton/Kraft Heinz renewable hydrogen endeavor, contingent upon planning approval and funding, is slated to commence operations by 2026. Its realization hinges on securing financial backing from the UK Government’s second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2) of the Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM), aimed at supporting the transition of UK industries to hydrogen and fostering the growth of the hydrogen economy nationwide.
Over the next 12-18 months, Kraft Heinz and Carlton Power will actively pursue planning consent for the scheme. Concurrently, the two entities will collaborate to secure grant funding and operational financial support from the UK Department of Energy Supply and Net Zero (DESNZ), with a target to commence hydrogen supply to Kitt Green by 2026/27. A formal submission to DESNZ is slated for this year, following consultations with local and national stakeholders.
This green hydrogen initiative marks Carlton Power’s third undertaking in the North West of England and its second in the Greater Manchester region, supplementing existing projects such as Trafford in Greater Manchester, which obtained planning consent in 2021, and Barrow-in-Furness in South Cumbria, greenlit in June 2023. These projects, along with Carlton’s Langage scheme near Plymouth, Devon, secured financial backing through the Government’s Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1) in December 2023.
In 2021, Kraft Heinz unveiled its ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its operational footprint (Scope 1 and Scope 2) and entire global supply chain (Scope 3) by 2050.
