Last year, the Heath Business and Technical Park's owners SOG Group revealed plans to transform the site into a clean, green location where people "can work, live and play". The re-imagining was pitched as a "modern-day version of Port Sunlight" with the potential for radical features such as a monorail.
SOG has now appointed a firm to complete a feasibility study as it also announced a collaboration with the HyNet North West program to explore how hydrogen power and carbon capture can support its environmental goals. Under the HyNet North West project, hydrogen fuel will be produced at Essar Stanlow, and then be transported by Cadent Gas via underground pipelines to provide clean energy to industry, homes and transportation.
Vertical farms are also being assessed. John Lewis MBE, SOG managing director, said: “We aim to create a visionary ‘formula for life’ at Heath Park that can show the whole world how we can live in a carbon-neutral eco-community for generations to come.
Mr. Lewis said: "An important part of our feasibility study is to look at how we can maximize the opportunities to introduce hydrogen energy into our program. "Local food production and vertical farming have been identified as potentially important elements for Heath Park.
"Through the utilization of clean energy resources, futuristic building designs and operational practices, vertical farming has the potential to provide cutting-edge food production through a ‘net negative’ CO2 (carbon dioxide) operation.
Read more at In Your Area (O. Clay)