Gloucestershire-based clean energy firm Wild Hydrogen marks its third anniversary in 2025 with the announcement of plans to develop its first ever demonstrator plant near Stroud.
The company has developed 'breakthrough' technology which transforms wet biogenic material, ranging from grasses to waste plastics, into commercially viable gases including hydrogen and biomethane — and has secured a site for a plant to demonstrate its capabilities, at Meadow Mill in Eastington, this February 2025.
Wild Hydrogen believes its method of producing affordable, carbon-negative hydrogen can 'revolutionise' the energy sector — with its pioneering process also requiring less electricity than existing hydrogen production technologies — and could be used to power trucks, ships and even airplanes in the future.
Proposed development of its demonstrator plant will involve applying for both prospective and retrospective consent for works at the Eastington Trading Estate, including installing its generation equipment, siting single-storey cabins and constructing boundaries, along with associated external works.
The company says operations at the site will be 'quiet' and have 'minimal impact', as its purpose would be 'small-scale testing and showcasing' of its innovations to industry partners, policymakers and researchers.
Following a screening process and planning submission, the firm will engage with the local community about its plans, including about how the site could support local agriculture, by exploring how excess heat and captured carbon dioxide could be repurposed; and how it would contribute to Gloucestershire’s net-zero ambitions.
James Milner, CEO at Wild Hydrogen, said: 'As a team from Cheltenham, Gloucester and the surrounding areas, we are deeply invested in this journey to net zero and the positive impact our technology could have on Gloucestershire.
'This project is a crucial step in decarbonising key sectors; and we look forward to engaging with the local community as we move forward.'
The company is also partnering with UK gas firm Wales & West Utilities in 2025, to explore how its technology could help decarbonise the gas network.
Part funded by Ofgem, the partnership aims to assess the capability of its technology to deliver low carbon synthetic methane — and as policy evolves up to 20 per cent blended hydrogen — into the gas grid; as well as evaluating the viability of its proposition and developing a roadmap to scale up production.
James added that the partnership marks 'a significant step forward in harnessing' the potential of the firm's technology.
'By aligning with Wales & West Utilities, we’re addressing key challenges to achieve a decarbonised energy future, ensuring both environmental and economic sustainability.'
