Hydrogen economy in South West takes “huge step forward”

Hydrogen

A £6.5mn funding package is set to enable Canford Renewable Energy to deliver its Dorset Green H2 Facility.

On 20 January, Dorset Chamber outlined how the facility – set to be the first of its kind in the region – will use renewable energy from on-site solar and landfill gases to produce green hydrogen. It is due to be operational later this year, with funding stemming from £3mn from Dorset LEP’s Growing Places Fund loan scheme, a £1.5mn grant from Low Carbon Dorset, a £1.7mn loan from NatWest and equity funding from Canford Renewable Energy.

It will involve a 5MW ground-mounted array of solar panels being installed at the site, with this supplemented by electricity produced from the site’s existing landfill gas on overcast days and overnight. The energy generated from these sources will power an 0.87MW electrolyser, producing up to 120,000kg of green hydrogen each year, which will then be compressed, stored and sold for local and regional use.