SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy have unveiled plans to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis, using clean power from wind.
On 4 April, SSE announced plans to use renewable energy from its 100MW plus Gordonbush onshore wind farm in the Scottish Highlands to produce green hydrogen. SSE Renewables will use Siemens Gamesa’s Renewable Hydrogen Upgrade at the site, which includes an electrolyser and ancillary technology, with the facility capable of producing up to 2.000 tonnes of green hydrogen each year. This could then be used as a clean alternative to petrol, diesel or natural gas to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors.
The project follows the companies’ agreement last year to explore opportunities to produce green hydrogen on co-located onshore wind farm sites.
The overall development will include a battery energy storage system capable of storing any surplus, or constrained renewable energy that is produced by the wind farm at times of excess wind on the electrical grid. The excess green energy can then be stored in lithium-ion batteries for possible later use, including the potential to power the electrolyser for green hydrogen production, or to dispatch to the national grid when wind is not blowing.
Through the project, SSE Renewables will also work to explore opportunities to unlock the full potential of the green hydrogen value chain in the Scottish Highlands and support Scotland’s emerging green hydrogen economy. This will involve working with potential green hydrogen customers from high carbon sectors looking to decarbonise their energy and fuel supplies.
