World’s first tidal-powered hydrogen generated at EMEC

13.09.2017

13 September 2017

EMEC has generated green hydrogen gas demonstrating potential for a clean replacement for polluting fuels

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has produced hydrogen gas using electricity generated from tidal energy in Orkney.

This is the first time that hydrogen has been created from tidal energy anywhere in the world.

The first tidal-powered hydrogen was generated by EMEC on Friday 25th August 2017.

By harnessing the power of the tide at EMEC’s tidal energy test site at the Fall of Warness, Eday, Orkney, prototype tidal energy converters – Scotrenewables’ SR2000 and Tocardo’s TFS and T2 turbine – fed power into an electrolyser situated next to EMEC’s onshore substation.

Supplied by ITM Power, the electrolyser uses the electricity to split water (H2O) into its component parts – hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2).

The electrolyser is housed in a standard 20’ by 10’ ISO container with hydrogen generation capacity of up to 220kg/24hours.

EMEC’s investment in hydrogen production capability has been made possible by funding of £3 million from Scottish Government, made available through Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Scottish Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse said:

“The Scottish Government is pleased to be supporting this innovative project which will help to partially overcome grid constraints in the Orkney Islands by enabling the storage of excess tidal power generated and using that electricity to produce hydrogen. The project also adds to our growing understanding of the potential role of hydrogen in Scotland’s future energy system – something we have committed to exploring in our draft Energy Strategy.”