Hebridean Hydrogen Park
Energy and global climate change continue to dominate the news and we are becoming increasingly aware of the uncomfortable reality that our dependence on fossil fuels is having serious impacts on global climate systems. Global energy demand is increasing exponentially whilst fewer new oil reserves are being discovered. Remote islands such as the Outer Hebrides are at the very end of traditional fuel supply chains and hence are extremely vulnerable to fuel shortages and price rises. For the island; where long distances lead to a reliance on private transport and exposed climate leads to long heating seasons; the availability, cost and security of fuel supply are hence fundamental concerns for the future sustainability of fragile communities.
Conversely whilst reliant on imported fuels, the Outer Hebrides have one of the richest renewable energy resources in the world. The economic development potential from the construction of large wind farms for electricity export is already well recognised. However, electricity export does not address the on-island energy demands. If our renewable resources are to be used to best effect we need to be able to store the renewable energy to our power cars and heat our homes as well as using it directly as electricity – this is where hydrogen comes in…
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Outer Hebrides local authority, recognise the role that Hydrogen can play in providing the islands with energy security of supply in the future and are implementing research and demonstration projects to establish a skills base and infrastructure to enable capacity building for the future. Scottish island communities are best placed to be early adopters of hydrogen technologies on a more commercial basis due to the economics of traditional fuel supply and their significant renewable resources.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar are currently seeking professional consultancy services to assist in the delivery of their visionary “Hebridean Hydrogen Park” project. The project seeks to establish hydrogen production from their Energy from Organic Waste Anaerobic Digester and Wind Turbine to supply hydrogen for council hydrogen pool vehicles, and other hydrogen applications within the hydrogen park including “tourism” vehicles, the University R&D lab and backup power supply applications. The consultancy services are being sought on an entirely open tender basis. Applicants are encouraged to review the Hydrogen Business Plan (pdf 5MB) and tender documents [ Invitation To Tender (pdf 133K) Contract (pdf 158K) ], and base their tender on their recommendations for optimum delivery of the project.
The estimated project budget is £2.5M, and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar have allocated £500K towards the project, with the remainder of the funding to be identified as part of the consultancy services. There are many permutations under which the project may be delivered, from wholly Council owned and operated, as R&D project for the university, as a private venture supplying vehicles and fixed cost hydrogen fuel to the council and other projects, as a community project or a mixture of the above.
Notes:
One way of storing electrical energy is in a battery as chemical energy – we are all familiar with re-chargeable batteries. Another way of storing electrical energy is in the form of a hydrogen fuel, which conceptually is similar to a rechargeable battery. Electricity passed through water under special conditions causes water to split up into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen elements, where the electrical energy is effectively stored in the hydrogen gas. This hydrogen gas can then be stored like a fuel, and used on demand to re-generate electricity, to heat homes or as a transport fuel – the waste product of this process is pure water. This is not a new technology, the first fuel cell was developed some 160 years ago. Advances in fuel cells in the 1950s enabled manned space flight. Environmental legislation introduced over the last decade is driving the commercialisation of hydrogen technology, with pre-commercial products being demonstrated today. Hydrogen can be produced from large scale wind in the islands on a calorific energy basis cheaper than the equivalent petrol pump prices today, however hydrogen cars are not yet readily available although there are commercial demonstration vehicles.
Outer Hebrides Energy Use
Key points:
- Electricity accounts for less than 20% of the Outer Hebrides overall energy mix.
- Domestic and transportation sectors account for 70% of energy used in the islands.
- Over 70% of the energy used in the islands is in the form of oil derived fuels.
- Approximately 97% of the energy used in the islands is imported.
- Imported fuels are considerably more expensive than their mainland equivalent prices.
- The islands have the highest prevalence of fuel poverty in the country (34%) – Fuel poverty: households that spend more than 10% of their income to adequately heat their home.
- The islands are at the very end of the energy supply chain, making them extremely vulnerable to global energy markets.
- Individuals in the Outer Hebrides have “eco-footprints” 10% larger (more polluting) than the UK average.
Contact:
Ruairi MacIver
Project Manager (Renewable Energy)
Technical Services
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Stornoway, Isle of Lewis,
HS1 2BW
