Wick and Thurso included in green hydrogen partnership
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Homes and businesses in Caithness are among those to benefit from a newly announced green hydrogen partnership for domestic heat.
Gas distribution company SGN and renewable energy generator RWE have joined forces to supply sustainable hydrogen gas in a number of locations – including Thurso and Wick.
As part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the companies will investigate the development of electrolysers powered by RWE’s 10 onshore wind farms in Scotland to supply hydrogen gas via Scotland’s gas network.
Hydrogen has a crucial role to play in achieving net-zero emissions and is an essential component to decarbonise sectors such as industry, heavy load transport, aviation and heat.
The partnership will investigate the decarbonisation of homes and businesses connected to the networks of Campbeltown, Stornoway and Oban as well as Thurso and Wick that are not connected to mains gas.
These networks are currently supplied by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which when swapped with hydrogen could save 21,000 tonnes of carbon each year and decarbonise around 9500 properties.
A feasibility study will be conducted over the coming months into a 100 MW electrolyser at RWE’s Markinch CHP biomass plant in Fife.
Steve Boughton, RWE director of hydrogen development, said: “This MoU is a perfect partnership to develop options for the decarbonisation of domestic and business gas networks, and to help government achieve its ambitions for 10GW of hydrogen production.
"Hydrogen will play an essential role in the pathway to net-zero, particularly in industry and homes which are hard to decarbonise, and RWE is perfectly positioned to support the development of the UK hydrogen economy.”
Fergus Tickell, SGN system transformation and business development lead, said: “We’re delighted to partner with RWE which shares our belief that hydrogen gas has a leading role in the decarbonisation of homes, businesses and industry in Scotland and the rest of the UK."
