Aberdeen City Council has announced bp as its preferred bidder for a partnership set to accelerate the city’s ambitions of becoming a world-class hydrogen hub.
On 25 October, Aberdeen City Council detailed how the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub concept will ensure the continued development of a hydrogen economy in the city, allowing for the creation of Scotland’s first scalable green hydrogen production facility. Having been selected as preferred bidder following a robust tender process that began in June, bp will work alongside the council on the required front end engineering design (FEED) work, aiming to make a final investment decision on the selected development concept in 2023.
The first phase will see the delivery of a green hydrogen facility, targeting first operations from 2024, with options ranging from using power drawn from a new photovoltaic solar farm, green power purchase agreements and a private wire grid connection as a means of generating hydrogen for buses, heavy goods vehicles and large vans. Future phases will see production scaled through further investment, supplying larger volumes of hydrogen for rail, freight and marine, as well as heat and potentially for export.
The programme will support Aberdeen City Council’s ambitions in creating a climate positive city and building inclusive growth by supporting hydrogen supply chain development, skills and training, and wider community benefits. Citing its own study, it found around 700 skilled jobs could be created in the hydrogen industry by 2030 through the hub, assuming it enables the export of renewable hydrogen.
