29 June 2023: A Skelmersdale paper mill is set to be the first in the UK to use hydrogen which will mean toilet paper and kitchen roll can be made in a more sustainable way. The existing machine at Tawd Mill in the Lancashire town will next year switch part of its drying process from using natural gas, which releases high CO2 emissions, to hydrogen. If the trial proves to be a success, it could make paper with a 66% reduction in total CO2 emissions.
The trial is part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP), which has shelled out more than £2.2m in a bid to determine if hydrogen will work as an alternative fuel source. If successful, the technology could be rolled out to Tawd Mill on a permanent basis, as well as some of the company’s other sites including Trafford Park and Oakenholt.
Essity is committed to reducing their own carbon emissions by 35% by 2030 - reaching net zero by 2050. Replacing natural gas with low carbon hydrogen would dramatically reduce CO2 emissions at the Tawd Mill site - a step in the right direction.
Spokesman Gareth Lucy said: “This is a really exciting time for us and we’re delighted to be at the forefront of something which might pave the way for a more eco-friendly way of producing toilet roll, kitchen roll and other paper products on home turf.
The site was restarted in 2017 to support the increased market demand for TAD paper and regardless of the success of the trial, no changes will be made to the finished project, during or after the project implementation. The project will be funded and monitored by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero.
It will be led by Essity, in partnership with Progressive Energy Ltd, which has experience in delivering hydrogen demonstrations and is linked to HyNet North West, one of the UK’s leading industrial decarbonisation projects. The investment will go towards the installation of burners that can operate using both natural gas and hydrogen to enable the testing and future use of hydrogen as a fuel source on site.