Planning sought for UK’s largest electrolyser

A planning application to deliver the UK’s largest electrolyser, a 20MW electrolyser at a green hydrogen facility in ScottishPower’s Whitelee windfarm, has been submitted.

The planning application includes proposals for 40MW of combined solar and a battery energy storage scheme to 50MW to help power the electrolyser.

The submission marks an important step for the Green Hydrogen for Scotland scheme, a partnership between ScottishPower, BOC and ITM Power, to create green hydrogen production facilities with clusters of refuelling stations across Scotland.

The partnership’s first project, Green Hydrogen for Glasgow, is designed to provide carbon-free transport and clean air for communities across Glasgow as well as helping support industrial hydrogen demand in the region. The city, set to host the United Nations COP26 later this year, aims to become the first net-zero city in the UK by 2030.  

The proposed green hydrogen project will be led by ScottishPower and located on the outskirts of Glasgow.  The project will be engineered and operated by BOC, using wind and solar power produced by ScottishPower Renewables, and incorporate a 20MW electrolyser, delivered by ITM Power. The project aims to supply hydrogen to the commercial market before 2023.

Barry Carruthers, ScottishPower’s hydrogen director, said: “With all eyes set to be on Glasgow later this year as the city hosts the UN’s 26th climate change conference, COP26, it’s fantastic to be making this next important step towards delivering green hydrogen for Glasgow.

“Whitelee keeps breaking barriers, first the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, and soon to be home to the UK’s largest electrolyser. The site has played a vital role in helping the UK to decarbonise and 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.”

Green hydrogen is a zero carbon energy source which can be used by industries and companies that cannot fully electrify their operations to help them lower their emissions, for example, heavy duty transport like buses and bin lorries.

The technology gets its name from the green power source, normally wind or solar, used to power an electrolyser to split water into its core elements; hydrogen and oxygen gas. The hydrogen can then be stored and transported for use as needed.

The green hydrogen facility at Whitelee, the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, will house a 20MW electrolyser and would be able to produce up to 8 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, roughly equivalent to fuelling over 550 buses to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh and back again each day.

The facility will be powered by the 40MW solar farm, across 62,000 individual solar cells, and a 50MW battery energy storage scheme which are also part of the planning submission. The facility, solar farm and battery will be installed about 5km west of Lochgoin Reservoir and adjacent to the existing Whitelee Extension substation.

Graham Cooley CEO ITM Power, commented: “This is an exciting milestone based on market development for green hydrogen for the city of Glasgow, that will see the UK’s largest electrolyser deployment to date being realised in Scotland.”

Mark Griffin, Hydrogen Market Development Manager for Clean Fuels at BOC said: “The scale of this project demonstrates the growing demand for clean hydrogen and as a member of the Green Hydrogen for Scotland partnership, we’re delighted to bring our hydrogen mobility and refuelling project expertise to help deliver a ground-breaking facility in Glasgow.”

ScottishPower expects a decision on the planning application in autumn 2021.

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