UK utility ScottishPower has unveiled proposals to develop a major green hydrogen production complex on the outskirts of Glasgow.  

The company is seeking planning permission to build the UK’s biggest electrolyser, as well as solar and energy storage capacity, next to the 539MW onshore windfarm at Whitelee.  

Green hydrogen has a vital role to play in helping Scotland and the UK meet decarbonisation targets, according to Barry Carruthers, hydrogen director at ScottishPower.

8t/d – Capacity of hydrogen plant

“We look forward to delivering another vital form of zero-carbon energy generation at the site to help Glasgow and Scotland achieve their net-zero goals,”  he says. Scotland has a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

The facility would include a 40MW solar farm and a 50MW battery energy storage scheme to ensure a consistent flow of power to the electrolyser.

ScottishPower declined to comment in detail on the cost of the project, but said it would run to “tens of millions” of pounds. A decision on the planning application is expected in autumn this year.

ScottishPower —part of Spanish energy group Iberdrola—is targeting commercial sales of green hydrogen from the plant to the transport sector before 2023, with the proposed 20MW electrolyser capable of producing up to 8t/d of green hydrogen.

The firm hopes the facility will support Glasgow City Council in its goal to make its 2,000 vehicles emissions-free by the end of 2029. Other local authorities in the area have similar targets.

Going for green

The announcement marks the latest step in an aggressive move into green hydrogen by the company in Scotland, and by Iberdrola in mainland Europe. 

ScottishPower is developing its hydrogen strategy in partnership with UK-based electrolyser manufacturer ITM Power and industrial gas supplier BOC. The partnership, announced late last year, is targeting local authorities and other consumers that operate fleets of heavy-duty vehicles. 

Earlier this year, ScottishPower joined The North of Scotland Hydrogen Programme to develop a hub in the Cromarty Firth to produce, store and distribute hydrogen to Scotland, other parts of the UK and Europe.  

“We look forward to delivering another vital form of zero-carbon energy generation at the site to help Glasgow and Scotland achieve their net-zero goals” Carruthers, ScottishPower

The company has also formed a partnership with Inverness-headquartered Global Energy Group to identify processes at the Port of Nigg in northeast Scotland that could be powered by green hydrogen. 

ScottishPower recently called on the UK and Scottish governments to put in place incentives to support the growth of green hydrogen production, which analysts say could be hampered by the high capital cost of installing large-scale electrolysers.

The Scottish government has set a target of 5GW of green hydrogen production by 2030. But a recent report suggests that, with the right incentives and additional offshore wind generation of 30GW, Scotland has the capacity to produce 100TWh/yr of green hydrogen.

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Author: Stuart Penson