- The UK’s largest electrolyser is to be built close to the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, Whitelee
- The 20MW electrolyser is part of a green hydrogen facility able to produce up to 8 tonnes of green hydrogen per day
- The green hydrogen facility will be the first to be built as part of the Green Hydrogen for Scotland partnership of ScottishPower, BOC, and ITM Power
- ScottishPower has submitted a planning application for a green hydrogen facility and a combined solar and battery energy storage scheme at the site with a combined capacity of up to 90MW that will power the facility
A planning application to deliver the UK’s largest electrolyser has been submitted by ScottishPower. The 20MW electrolyser will be the key component of a green hydrogen facility located close to ScottishPower’s Whitelee windfarm.
The planning application also includes proposals for a combined solar, up to 40MW, and battery energy storage scheme, up to 50MW, to help power the electrolyser.
The submission marks an important step for Green Hydrogen for Scotland, a partnership between ScottishPower, BOC and ITM Power, to create green hydrogen production facilities with clusters of refuelling stations across Scotland.
The partnership’s first project, ‘Green Hydrogen for Glasgow’, is designed to provide carbon-free transport and clean air for communities across Glasgow as well as helping support industrial hydrogen demand in the region. The city, set to host the United Nations 26th Climate Change Conference, COP26, later this year, aims to become the first net-zero city in the UK by 2030.
The proposed green hydrogen project will be led by ScottishPower and located on the outskirts of Glasgow. The project will be engineered and operated by BOC, using wind and solar power produced by ScottishPower Renewables, and incorporate a 20MW electrolyser, delivered by ITM Power. The project aims to supply hydrogen to the commercial market before 2023.
Barry Carruthers, ScottishPower’s Hydrogen Director, said: “With all eyes set to be on Glasgow later this year as the city hosts the UN’s 26th climate change conference, COP26, it’s fantastic to be making this next important step towards delivering green hydrogen for Glasgow.
“Whitelee keeps breaking barriers, first the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, and soon to be home to the UK’s largest electrolyser. The site has played a vital role in helping the UK to decarbonise and we look forward to delivering another vital form of zero carbon energy generation at the site to help Glasgow and Scotland achieve their net zero goals.”
Green hydrogen is a zero carbon energy source which can be used by industries and companies that cannot fully electrify their operations to help them lower their emissions, for example, heavy duty transport like buses and bin lorries.
The technology gets its name from the green power source, normally wind or solar, used to power an electrolyser to split water into its core elements; hydrogen and oxygen gas. The hydrogen can then be stored and transported for use as needed.
The green hydrogen facility at Whitelee, the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, will house a 20MW electrolyser and would be able to produce up to 8 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, roughly equivalent to fuelling over 550 buses to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh and back again each day.
The facility will be powered by the 40MW solar farm, across 62,000 individual solar cells, and a 50MW battery energy storage scheme which are also part of the planning submission. The facility, solar farm and battery will be installed about 5km west of Lochgoin Reservoir and adjacent to the existing Whitelee Extension substation.
Graham Cooley CEO ITM Power, commented: “This is an exciting milestone based on market development for green hydrogen for the city of Glasgow, that will see the UK’s largest electrolyser deployment to date being realised in Scotland.”
Mark Griffin, Hydrogen Market Development Manager for Clean Fuels at BOC said: “The scale of this project demonstrates the growing demand for clean hydrogen and as a member of the Green Hydrogen for Scotland partnership, we’re delighted to bring our hydrogen mobility and refuelling project expertise to help deliver a ground-breaking facility in Glasgow.”
Barry added: “Green hydrogen has a vital role to play in Scotland and the wider UK’s journey to Net Zero emissions providing a sustainable energy source that can provide clean, renewable energy for industries, heavy transport and companies for decades to come.”
This hydrogen production facility could support Glasgow City Council as well as surrounding local authorities and industries in their ambitions to create a zero emissions vehicle fleet, using only electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles by the end of 2029.
ScottishPower expects a decision on the planning application in autumn 2021.