Councillors vote to sell off land for proposed hydrogen project

PROPOSALS for the Corporate Joint Committee of Cardiff Capital Region to purchase land in the Brynmenyn and Bryncethin area will still go ahead despite a ‘call in’ from council members.

The plans would see two areas described as “surplus land” transferred over to the CJC for use as part of the proposed Hybont Green Hydrogen Project, which has been put forward by energy developers Marubeni Europower Ltd.

If given the go-ahead at a planning committee meeting next month, they will include a hydrogen production facility with electrolysers that can generate hydrogen from electrical power by splitting water, along with hydrogen storage and a hydrogen refuelling station.

Bridgend Council had pulled out of the project last year due to financial restrictions, though developers at Marubeni said they would still go ahead with the application, with a report showing that the Cardiff Capital Region was now interested in becoming a “key partner”.

Officers and members who had agreed to transfer the site to the Cardiff Capital Region said it would be sold on the basis that planning permission was granted for the project, potentially fetching a price of more than £1 million.

It was also noted that a protocol was in place, meaning if the project was not given planning permission to go ahead then the land would automatically be sold back to the local authority. Five members voted in favour of sending it back to cabinet and six voting against. The transfer of land will now be able to take effect immediately.