The results of a feasibility study in Grangemouth’s long-term future have been published, with hydrogen featuring prominently.
Carried out by EY as part of the £200 million Project Willow, the study has identified credible long-term industrial options for Grangemouth, particularly looking into how it can build on its skilled workforce, local expertise and long heritage as a fuel leader in Scotland and realise a future in low carbon energy production.
It evaluated over 300 technologies, identifying those that could be effectively deployed in Grangemouth, leading to an eventual nine potential projects – spread across three areas of ‘wastes’, ‘bio-feedstock’ and ‘conduit for offshore wind’ – that could, with public and private sector backing, unlocking Grangemouth’s growth potential.
Alongside the potential to convert Scottish cover crops into sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel using low carbon hydrogen, further suggested projects include fuel switching where natural gas combustion is replaced with low carbon hydrogen; low carbon hydrogen being used to produce methanol and covert it to sustainable aviation fuel; and low carbon ammonia being produced from hydrogen for shipping and chemicals.
A search for investors has been launched with both the UK and Scottish governments now pledging to reviewing the policy recommendations set out under Project Willow and explore how government funding could be deployed to mature proposals from the private sector.
