A NEW £20million centre is set to be created on Clydebank’s waterfront to convert plastics into hydrogen fuel for vehicles.

The plan, for a site on Rothesay Dock, would divert non-recyclable plastic from landfills, incineration or export overseas to create a local source for clean fuel for buses, cars and HGVs. There would also be a linked refuelling station at the site.

A total of 24 jobs would be created for managing and operating the plant after construction.

Planning approval for a different type of recycling centre was given for the 5.8-acres of land in 2012. There were 14 objections from residents in Yoker and Clydebank East concerned about problems such as noise and traffic from the site, which is between the dock water and Dock Street, behind Holm Park.

The 2012 plan was estimated to see 144 movements of lorries and deliveries through the day.

Since the original design, Dock Street has been designated to be the Clydebank end of the new Clyde bridge to Renfrew.

The 2012 approved design for a recycling facility at Rothesay Dock would not have converted plastics to hydrogen as in the new proposals

The 2012 approved design for a recycling facility at Rothesay Dock would not have converted plastics to hydrogen as in the new proposals

Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, said they would put proposals for the 13,500 facility to the public for consultation in due course with a planning application later this year. It would be the firm’s second plastic-to-hydrogen facility after one in Cheshire.

The project will use technology from Powerhouse Energy Group plc, which said it would play an important role in meeting Scotland’s environmental strategy.

Tim Yeo, former Conservative MP and environment minister and chairman of Powerhouse, said: “All eyes are on Scotland ahead of the important COP26 meeting in Glasgow later this year, so we are delighted our pioneering, clean energy technology will help put Scotland on the path to net zero.”

Richard Barker, director of Peel NRE, said: “Local councils are leading the way and just this year Glasgow Council ordered 19 hydrogen powered bin lorries, the largest such fleet in the world.

“This facility will convert plastic into hydrogen, a clean fuel that produces no emissions at the point of use, helping to improve local air quality.

Since the 2012 planning approval, Dock Street, running along the bottom right of the image, has been designated as the Clydebank end of the new bridge to Renfrew

Since the 2012 planning approval, Dock Street, running along the bottom right of the image, has been designated as the Clydebank end of the new bridge to Renfrew

“By co-locating a refuelling station, we can help to kick start the infrastructure needed to support the rollout of hydrogen vehicles which will be an important part of our journey to net zero.” 

Peel NRE said research showed around 300,000 tonnes of waste plastic are produced in the central belt each year.

Rothesay Dock was originally used for shipping coal and minerals, then railway sidings and coal hoists for ship loading, then a scrap yard and largely derelict for years. An oil storage depot is to the north-west of the planned new facility.