NI Water is to become the first company in the UK to produce hydrogen through electrolysis at a wastewater treatment site.
The company was awarded £5 million by the Department for the Economy (DfE) towards undertaking the demonstrator project.
It will install a 1MW electrolyser to prove the method can increase processing capacity, reduce carbon emissions and offer grid flexibility.
Economy minister, Diane Dodds, said: “Hydrogen will become an increasingly important part of our future and there is a real opportunity for NI Water to lead the way in the public sector. It is a truly ground-breaking project that has the potential to completely change how we think about and use energy.”
Damien O’Mullan, head of energy at NI Water, said the project put the country at the forefront of the developing a global hydrogen economy.
The company added that the project will, over time, ease the burden caused by the underfunding of wastewater treatment systems for many years. It has rejected planning applications for new housing and business developments because in more than 100 towns, which the company said would take many years of ongoing investment to address.
The company is committed to Northern Ireland’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Department for infrastructure minister, Nichola Mallon said as the country’s single largest electricity consumer, NI Water must explore new approaches to energy and funding. She called the project “a significant milestone” for the company.
The system will be deployed in the autumn of 2021.