Marubeni has welcomed news that Councillors have set a new date to determine the application for the HyBont Green Hydrogen Project.
At a meeting on 23 January, Members of the Development Control Committee agreed with a council officer proposal that a Special Development Control Committee meeting to determine the application should take place on 20 February. The meeting will include a briefing for all members in the morning followed by a visit to the sites.
The Development Control Committee will be asked to determine two applications. The first application, reference P/24/788/HAZ is for a Hazard Substances consent. The second reference P/23/218/FUL is for planning consent for the scheme.
A Special Development Control Committee meeting to consider the planning application for HyBont was previously scheduled for 17 October 2024 but was unable to go ahead as planned, due to concerns raised by the Health and Safety Executive over the tube trailers that provide moveable Hydrogen storage.
Following the postponement, Marubeni Europower has worked with its advisors to amend the plans in order to fully address the HSE`s concerns. The Health and Safety Executive were then consulted on the amended plans and concluded that the risks to the surrounding population arising from the proposed operation(s) are so small that there is no significant concern over safety.
A spokesperson for Marubeni Europower said:
“We are pleased that the Development Control Committee has today agreed with the proposed timetable from Bridgend County Borough Council officers and consider the HyBont application on 20 February.
“Safety remains at the core of this project, and we are committed to working with the HSE, statutory consultees, BCBC and the local community to ensure HyBont is delivered as an industry leading facility.
“Marubeni Europower has is committed to decarbonising Bridgend and reducing the impacts of climate change. We have worked with the UK Government since the announcement of the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1) and we will continue to do so.”
Alongside the long-term environmental and energy security benefits for the area, Marubeni Europower proposals will see up to 130 people employed in the construction of the facility, with significant supply chain opportunities for local businesses. In addition to this, there will be 4/5 permanent specialist jobs to maintain and operate the facility.
