A week before the last Council election Swansea’s Council Labour Leader Rob Stewart promised us a fantasy Hydrogen powered Car Ferry Ship to take us over to north Devon. Since then we’ve heard nothing. Was it just election nonsense? If he was serious, where is all the Hydrogen going to come from to power a ship – not just a car? Hydrogen is an abundant element on the surface of our planet but it does not exist in a free state anywhere on planet Earth. It is all locked up in compounds, like water, with strong tight electronic bonds. To obtain it, by releasing it, will take enormous amounts of energy e.g. by electrolysis of water. Despite me asking Politicians and Scientists, nobody can tell me what is the Energy Equation – i.e. energy put in to extract it and energy out when it’s used a fuel. It’s even been mentioned to use enormous masses of Hydrogen as a ‘reductant’ instead of Coke (Carbon) in our massive steelworks Blast Furnaces at Port Talbot to make “green steel”. Nobody is asking any serious but simple questions on this issue. Start off by asking Swansea Labour two questions :- (1) Where is their Swansea / Devon hydrogen powered Car Ferry ship? and (2) What is the ENERGY EQUATION in releasing Hydrogen as a free element fuel?

It’s all shrouded in mystery. No wonder the Nimbies  are kicking off in Bridgend’s fantasy world.

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Residents protest about plan for hydrogen plant

• Western Mail
• 24 Jun 2023
• LEWIS SMITH Reporter lewis.smith@walesonline.co.uk

RESIDENTS have held a protest over a planning application to build a new hydrogen plant at an industrial estate near their homes.

The demonstration lasted for around three hours outside the Bridgend council offices in Angel Street before the council’s monthly full council meeting and saw dozens of residents making their voices heard about plans they say are unsuitable for their area.

The project, which has been named the HyBont Green Hydrogen Project, could see a hydrogen-powered plant built by Japanese developers Marubeni on Brynmenyn Industrial Estate. If given the go ahead it would include a hydrogen production facility with electrolysers that generate hydrogen from electrical power by splitting water, along with hydrogen storage and a hydrogen refuelling station on the land.

The hydrogen produced there would be intended to supply transport users such as refuse collection vehicles, buses and light vehicles at the Brynmenyn refuelling station dispensers, as well as for heat for the Ynysawdre Cluster through a 1.2km underground pipe. The cluster includes Ysgol Gynradd Brynmenyn Primary School, Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen and Halo Ynysawdre Swimming Pool.

However, some locals claim there are a number of concerns over the plans, which they believe are based too close to housing at the nearby village of Bryncethin.

Jean Phillips lives in Bryncethin and said she still had some serious questions over the safety of the hydrogen plant.

She said: “We’ve turned up today because we need to let the council know how strongly we feel about these proposals. It’s too close to the houses and it’s not being built in the right place as far as we are concerned.

“My main concern is the health and safety risks here because if there is a leak from this plant or the associated pipes it would be in my house in less than five minutes, and a large number of other people’s along with it. I agree with going green but I don’t agree with having it so close to houses and businesses as it’s too dangerous.”

Julie Jones owns a cafe nearby and added: “If anything happened at this site, with it being so close to the houses, we would all be very close to the blast and it’s crazy to have it here, in my opinion. We can only hope now that councillors listen to our concerns and don’t take this forward from the planning stage.”

Phil and Christine Jones also live nearby and said in their opinion the negative points of constructing the plant would outweigh the positives if the project was approved.

Phil said: “We think the plant is a bad idea and we really don’t want it to go ahead. For us living so close we feel we would be constantly worrying about an emergency situation, as well as a range of other issues.

“There would be a huge amount of traffic coming in and out to build the plant, as well as those coming in to refuel once it’s completed and we don’t have the road infrastructure to support that. We also worry that it could have a detrimental effect on the value of the properties in the area with a plant like this being so close.”

Lawrence Till was one of the organisers of the protest in the town and said: “I have numerous concerns about the project including health and safety, water and electricity supply, traffic impact, ecological effects and value for tax-payers’ money. We are also concerned over whether or not the councillors who will be making decisions on this application have the full and accurate information before they are discussed.”

The comment came after Councillor Hywel Williams, of Blackmill, apologised to members of the community after claiming pipes at the proposed site would not have hydrogen contained within them during a public meeting.

At the full council meeting he said: “I recently attended a public meeting to gather information first hand so that I may understand what concerns residents held regarding the HyBont proposal. My understanding at the time was that the only byproduct to be piped off-site would be excess hot water used to help heat local community facilities.

“Following the meeting I asked for clarification regarding the hydrogen pipeline. I have now learned that my original understanding was wrong, and alongside a heat network of water pipes there is a proposal to include a hydrogen pipeline to supply a hydrogen boiler for schools and other buildings around Ynysawdre.”

He added: “It is only right I offer an unreserved apology for any upset or anxiety my actions may have caused. The HyBont project still has many stages to pass through and I am confident there will be an open and transparent process to address the concerns of residents.”

A council spokesman added: “Bridgend County Borough Council encourages people to express their views on the proposals for creating a new green hydrogen facility at Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, and we were pleased to welcome the residents to our public gallery where they were able to observe [Wednesday’s] meeting of council.

“Given the complexity of the HyBont plans, we are also urging people to familiarise themselves with all of the facts behind the proposal, and you can find out more by visiting www.hybont.co.uk.”

A statement from George Dodd, senior vice-president at Marubeni Europower, said: “The site has been selected due to its proximity to potential end users within the Brynmenyn Industrial Estate, such as the bus depot, and because of the potential it allows for a district heat network, providing low-carbon heating to nearby community buildings. The site is also close to the proposed solar farm at Bryncethin, allowing a direct power connection to provide green electricity.

“Hydrogen, in line with hydrocarbons such as petrol and natural gas, is covered by international codes, regulations and standards to ensure its safe production, storage, transportation and use.

“Safety is of paramount importance, and there are a wide range of safety measures incorporated into the design of the different components of the green hydrogen production and refuelling facility to prevent hydrogen leaks and potential ignition.

“For example, as hydrogen is the lightest element on Earth, in the unlikely event of a leak it would travel upwards and disperse rather than ‘creeping’ along the ground like heavier gases. For this reason, there will not be a building or roof over the storage or production areas.

“Each of the hydrogen storage tanks will be surrounded by fire walls so, in the unlikely event of a fire, the fire will be contained.