“This is a massive infrastructure project and Sembcorp are delighted that Wilton International has been chosen for part of this major investment,” Matthew said. “It’s one of the largest construction projects that Wilton International has seen in recent years and it’s very much in alignment with our commitment to decarbonise our industrial site. Two converter substations will be built on a 20-acre plot – the first for the Sofia Wind Farm, the second for the adjacent Dogger Bank C Offshore Wind Farm.

A challenging year for biotech and pharma companies Since early 2020, supply chains globally have been under great strain due to the effects of the pandemic on both trade and production. Biotech and pharma companies have faced the challenge of producing new vaccines, tests and treatments at a rate that would previously have been unthinkable, at a time when countries across the world have been under lockdown, with increasingly tight borders.

To reach Net Zero 2050 we’re likely to need hydrogen “Hydrogen is likely to be a key piece of the decarbonisation puzzle,” says Sembcorp’s Natalie Lowery. “Government, National Grid (NG), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and many others agree that hydrogen is needed to reach Net Zero, and internationally big commitments are being made to it. “In the UK, the Government’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution sets a target for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, which they’re supporting with a range of measures including a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund.

What does Biffa Polymers do here at Wilton International? “It’s a 24⁄7 operation at Wilton. 140 people are employed at the fully automated site and there’s huge demand for our products,” Chris explains. “The Wilton facility re-processes household and industrial waste plastics in 5 different processing streams, each doing something slightly different. The plastics we recycle here are called Polyolefins - polypropylene and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Re-processing them means they can be re-used, saving waste and reducing the need for production of new plastic feedstocks.