SWECO submits environmental impact assessment for Hydrogen Utopia’s plastics-to-hydrogen plant in Konin, Poland
SWECO, one of Europe’s leading architecture and engineering consultancies has, in collaboration with Hydropolis United sp.z.o.o. (“Hydropolis”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydrogen Utopia International PLC (HUI), submitted an application for an Environmental Impact Assessment for a pioneering waste plastics to hydrogen plant in Konin, Poland.
HUI intends to replicate the construction of plants across Europe with the two-fold ambition of dealing with the major environmental threat posed by waste plastic and providing alternative price competitive energy sources that are not dependent upon the use of virgin fossil fuels such as coal, gas, oil and fossil fuel derived electricity.
HUI is targeting areas where there is significant private sector interest or potential financial backing is accessible and/or where substantial EU and/or government funded sources of grants and loans are available, such as the EU’s “Just Transition Fund” which was set up to help fossil fuel dependent communities transition towards climate neutrality.
Following the signing of an agreement between HUI and the City of Konin in February 2021, SWECO has been instrumental in identifying a suitable plot for the proposed HUI plant, close to the city's existing waste remediation facilities. Non-recyclable plastics can be delivered and fed into the plant producing four revenue streams: synthetic gas, electrical power, heat and road fuel quality 99.999% hydrogen. A lease agreement for the 1.2 hectare site has already been signed with the City of Konin by Hydropolis.
The Environmental Impact Assessment application is a complex document put together by SWECO engineers in conjunction with HUI which will be reviewed at both a local government and central government level. HUI and SWECO anticipate that approval should be granted within the next 9-12 months time.
Dariusz Czerniak, SWECO, Director, Energy Department said upon its initial engagement with HUI:
“It is our privilege to work closely with Hydrogen Utopia International on its waste plastic to hydrogen and energy plants as a novel, 4.0 technology. We believe that HUI’s solution can tackle the global, growing plastic waste problem. The technology will also enhance the transition to a hydrogen economy and we are proud to be a part of this exciting future for Poland.
Aleksandra Binkowska, CEO of HUI, responded:
”We thank our advisors and collaborators SWECO for all their support on the Konin project. The climate is right for Poland's energy transition, and for releasing my home country from its reliance on fossil fuels to move over to cleaner sources of energy, coupled with solving other pressing environmental issues such as eliminating plastic pollution. We look forward to a continued relationship with SWECO as we branch out to Bulgaria and beyond.”