Indian conglomerate Essar Group has announced the formation of Essar Energy Transition (EET) with plans to invest up to $3.6bn in developing low-carbon energy projects, including hydrogen and ammonia, in the UK and India over the next five years.

Ranging across hydrogen production technologies, decarbonisation, biofuels for road and aviation, and infrastructure project, the EET investments are intended to contribute to the North West of England becoming a leading post-carbon industrial cluster in Europe.

As a result, EET will invest $2.4bn at its Stanlow site, where Essar’s joint venture with Progressive Energy, Vertex Hydrogen is developing a 1GW blue hydrogen production site in the North West UK hydrogen cluster HyNet.