Essar acquired Stanlow in 2011 and says it has invested around £1 billion in the site since, including refinery reconfiguration, increased crude flexibility and upgrades to the catalytic cracker.
More recently, Essar Energy Transition Fuels completed a £100 million turnaround which it says has increased refinery throughput by around 8%, alongside commissioning a £70.9 million hydrogen-ready furnace.
What’s next for Stanlow?
Retail: Essar is targeting significant expansion of its retail network with an ambition to add 800 new Essar-branded locations directly supplied from Stanlow.
Transition investment: Essar says it has a £4.3 billion pipeline of proposed investment around Stanlow, placing hydrogen production at the centre of its transition plans, with more than £1 billion of projects approaching final investment decisions.
New uses for the site: The company is exploring the potential for commercial data centres at Stanlow, powered by onsite hydrogen-ready generation, as it considers how to make greater use of the extensive site.
Prashant Ruia, chairman of Essar Energy Transition, said the group remained committed to Stanlow’s future, describing the proposed £4.3 billion investment pipeline as an opportunity to build on the site’s existing industrial base.
As Essar considers what a future Stanlow may look like, the tricky balancing act of maintaining today’s business while building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s is clear. Increased refinery throughput and targeted growth in conventional fuel retail sit alongside investment in hydrogen-readiness, proposals for large-scale transition projects and the exploration of entirely new energy-intensive site uses.
Image provided by Essar