ScottishPower, ITM Power, and BOC team up for Scotland green hydrogen vision

ScottishPower Renewables has teamed up with hydrogen tech firms ITM power and BOC to develop a green hydrogen supply chain in Scotland, starting with the commercialisation of a Glasgow-based production plant within the next two years, they announced yesterday.

Dubbed Green Hydrogen for Scotland, the partnership aims to develop a market proposition for green hydrogen as a zero emission fuel for heavy transport such as trucks, buses, ships and trains, with plans to develop a raft of production facilities and refuelling stations for the gas north of the border.

Proponents of hydrogen believe it could play a key role in overcoming the technical challenges of decarbonising larger road vehicles, as the fuel produces only water vapour when burned. It is produced through a chemical process known as electrolysis, which splits hydrogen from water, but electrolysers require large amounts of power to perform the extraction.Using renewable sources such as wind and solar to power this process, however, eliminates carbon emissions, making the hydrogen 'green'.

The partnership's first project - 'Green Hydrogen for Glasgow' - aims to supply hydrogen to the commercial market within the next two years, and includes  the construction of a green hydrogen production facility on the outskirts of Scotland's largest city, the partners explained. The facility would utilise wind and solar energy generated by ScottishPower Renewables to power a 10MW electrolyser, which is to be developed by ITM Power and operated by BOC. 

The project si designed to support Glasgow city council's commitment to creating a zero-emissions fleet containing solely electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles by the end of 2029, as well as Scotland's target to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

"Making transport cleaner and greener is one of the key issues at the heart of how we can unlock net zero and achieve the ambitious climate change targets set out at both regional and national levels over the next 10-30 years," said Lindsay McQuade, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, which is owned by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola.

"While electrification will play a significant role in taking petrol and diesel vehicles off our roads and make an important difference for the planet, it can only go so far," she added. "Our revolutionary approach - which really will be a game-changer - fully supports the large scale transformation needed to replace heavy diesel vehicles with cleaner, greener alternatives."

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• Topics
• Transport
• ITM Power
• Hydrogen
• Green hydrogen
• Scotland
• Glasgow
• glasgow city council
• ScottishPower
• Iberdrola