How giant furnace crawled along M53 before arriving at Stanlow refinery

Essar release images of the overnight delivery of the first-ever hydrogen-powered furnace - the first of its kind in the UK

Essar Oil UK has taken delivery of the first-ever hydrogen-powered furnace at a refinery anywhere in the UK at its Stanlow site in Ellesmere Port.

In a major logistical feat, which involved closing the M53 on Saturday night (August 13), the furnace arrived the following evening. The complex operation took several hours and involved multiple agencies including National Highways and Cheshire Police, with the machinery being moved at a walking pace of less than four mph.

It moved along the M53 motorway, exiting at junction 10, before completing the final leg of its journey along the A5117 road to Stanlow. The furnace is one of the largest objects ever moved on UK roads.

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The principal component of the furnace – standing almost five times the height of a double decker bus at 18.5 metres tall, 26.5 metres long and 14.2 metres wide – completely filled both northbound and southbound carriages of the motorway.

The furnace’s 6,000-mile journey began in May this year in Thailand, where it was manufactured and fabricated. After weeks at sea, the furnace arrived at Liverpool Port in June, before being transported by barge down the Manchester Ship Canal.

The furnace is the first of its kind in the UK, capable of running on a 100% hydrogen source and will replace three existing furnaces at Stanlow. Hydrogen used by the new furnace from 2026 will be produced by Vertex Hydrogen, a joint venture launched in January between Essar and Progressive Energy, located on-site at Stanlow and part of the HyNet North West low carbon cluster. Once fully operational in 2023, it will improve energy efficiency at Stanlow compared to existing furnaces, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 240,000 tonnes each year from 2026, while simultaneously reducing maintenance costs.

The furnace will pave the way to decarbonising Essar’s operations and cutting emissions at Stanlow – one of the country’s most critical refining and manufacturing sites.

The furnace forms a central part of Essar’s long term strategy for Stanlow to become the UK’s first low-carbon refinery, helping lead the country’s low carbon transformation. In addition to the new furnace, Essar is investing in a range of energy efficiency, low-carbon energy, and carbon capture and storage initiatives.

Deepak Maheshwari, Chief Executive Officer at Essar Oil UK, said: “After years of planning and months of transportation, we are delighted to take delivery of our new, state-of-the-art hydrogen furnace. We are grateful to the many organisations, including National Highways and Cheshire Police, who helped ensure the safe arrival of such a large and complex item.

"The new furnace is the first of its kind at any refinery in the UK and demonstrates clearly Essar’s long-term commitment towards decarbonising our operations and helping lead the UK’s low carbon transition."

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