Green Hydrogen Microgrid Could Transform Rural Energy Production in Scotland
When it comes to energy production in Scotland, you might think first of the country’s portion of the prolific North Sea oil fields.
However, despite being one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, there’s also a strong green energy movement emerging in the country. For example, there’s a new green hydrogen microgrid being developed in the Scottish Highlands that has the potential to transform energy generation and reliability for the country’s rural farming communities.
The HydroGlen demonstration project aims to incorporate on-site wind and/or solar energy generation with a hydrogen microgrid to show how farming communities can generate enough green hydrogen to fully meet their energy needs.
Green hydrogen, also known as clean or renewable hydrogen, is a zero emissions fuel created when renewable energy sources like wind and solar are used to separate hydrogen from water via electrolysis. The only byproduct is water.
The project will be built at the James Hutton Institute’s Glensaugh research farm in Aberdeenshire, about 100 miles northeast of Edinburgh. The James Hutton Institute is a Scotland-based independent scientific research organization dedicated to solving climate-related challenges through the development of tools, interventions and land management practices.
In addition to the on-site renewables, the hydrogen microgrid will include an electrolyser, high- and low-pressure storage, a compression and refueling system and water purifier, a battery energy storage system and an EV charging station.
Demonstrating a new approach to energy production
With the demonstration project, the James Hutton Institute seeks to address several challenges facing rural Scottish farming communities, including growing rates of fuel poverty and an increase in the number of extended power outages.
The organization also hopes the project will accelerate the decarbonization of Scotland’s agriculture sector, which it says currently accounts for 18% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. For example, HydroGlen’s EV charging station could enable the farm to reduce emissions through the electrification of heavy duty farm vehicles.
The project is designed to be both modular and scalable so that the findings can be applied to other farms and rural communities in Scotland and beyond.
Construction contractor announced
The HydroGlen project, expected to be operational by the end of 2025, took another step forward last week when Green Cat Contracting was selected to deliver the construction phase of the project. Green Cat Contracting is a UK-based civil engineering contractor that specializes in the design and build out of renewable energy plants.
“Green Cat has been supporting the farming and other rural business sectors to decarbonize for the last 20 years. Our expertise in renewable energy, green hydrogen and complex system integration makes this a perfect project for us,” said Gavin Catto, chief executive at Green Cat Contracting.
Influencing policy – and the community
HydroGlen was one of 22 projects awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund in 2022. The project received $7.9 million (£6.2 million) of the $63.7 million (£50 million) issued that year.
The Just Transition Fund plans to invest $637.4 million (£500 million) in northern Scotland over the next 10 years to facilitate the development of a low-carbon economy.
Additional support for HydroGlen was provided by the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme, which aims to have 2 GW of locally- or community-owned renewable energy operational by 2030.
The developers said in a statement that they hope the project will ultimately influence energy policy, bolster the number of hydrogen projects, advance green hydrogen technologies, reduce carbon emissions and provide skills training and green jobs in rural communities across Scotland.
“We’re building a cutting-edge pilot farm-scale green hydrogen and renewable energy facility,” said Niamh Carr, development officer for HydroGlen. This will drive “innovation for a more sustainable future.”
