Hydrodec Group plc, the clean-tech industrial oil re-refining group, announced that Hydrodec Re-Refining (UK) Limited, a subsidiary of the Company, has entered into an agreement for lease with The Manchester Ship Canal Company Limited (a member of the Peel Ports Group) in relation to a proposed long term lease of a 9 acre site near Eastham Locks, Port Wirral, Merseyside, North West England. The site would be used by the Company for the first phase of its development of a used oil re-refinery in the UK, with a capacity to produce 75 million liters per year of Group II quality base oils.

Completion of the Lease is dependent upon certain conditions precedent, including obtaining a satisfactory Development Consent Order under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects planning regime, the necessary regulatory consents, licences and permits for the construction and operation of the development together with funding. Subject to practical completion of the first phase development within 3 years of the commencement of the Lease, HRR has the option to enter into a further long term lease for an adjacent 7 acre site on equivalent terms to the Lease.

Commenting on the announcement, Ian Smale, Chief Executive of Hydrodec said: ‘We remain focused on developing the UK's first purpose built used lubricant oil re-refinery producing the highest quality Group II/II+ base oils and are currently fully engaged in the planning, permitting and financing process for the project. We considered various potential sites in the UK for the new re-refinery and selected the Eastham site for a number of reasons. In particular, the site is located in an established petrochemicals region and is zoned for employment use, provides good transport links by river and by road, whilst the availability of adjacent storage facilities means that the size of the new plant can be kept to a minimum. This agreement for lease is an important milestone in the project.’