West Dunbartonshire Council has given Peel NRE – part of Peel L&P – the green light to build the plant at Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde.

It’s the second such planned facility, with the first to be delivered at Peel NRE’s Protos site in Cheshire near Ellesmere Port – due to begin construction this year.

In Scotland, it is estimated construction will take around 15 months.

The 13,500-tonne facility will use Powerhouse Energy pioneering technology to create a local source of sustainable hydrogen from non-recyclable plastics, destined for landfill, incineration or export overseas.

The hydrogen will be used as a clean fuel for HGVs, buses and cars, with plans for a linked hydrogen refuelling station on the site.

It follows the Government doubling its hydrogen production target by 2030 as part of the recently-published Energy Security Strategy so more clean and affordable energy can be produced in Britain as energy prices continue to rise globally.

Richard Barker, development director at Peel NRE, said: “This is a fantastic moment for West Dunbartonshire and the surrounding area. It shows how the UK is innovating when it comes to rolling out new net zero technologies.

“The facility will address the dual challenge of both tackling our problem plastic while creating hydrogen, a sustainable fuel for future generations.

“Whilst the focus must remain on removing plastic from society, there are still end of life plastics that need managing. The £20m plant will play a pivotal role in making the best use of non-recyclable material, with the resulting hydrogen able to help cut carbon emissions from vehicles.”