SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy have announced plans to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis using energy from two onshore windfarms.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding in a partnership which aims to “encompass the full green hydrogen value chain” including construction, management, end user requirements, operation and maintenance.
The partners plan to co-locate hydrogen production facilities at two onshore windfarms in Scotland and Ireland, the precise locations of which are yet to be announced.
Both will aim to work with green hydrogen customers across a range of industries including transportation, major distilleries and gas network operators.
Siemens Gamesa has previous experience in bringing a hydrogen production plant into operation, successfully helping to bring the Brande Hydrogen pilot site in Denmark online. The site, which also produces hydrogen from onshore wind, features a battery, a turbine and an electrolyser.
In the government’s 10-point plan released last year a target was set to boost the production of hydrogen to 5GW by 2030. In total up to £500 million has been earmarked for investment in hydrogen.
Jim Smith, managing director of SSE Renewables, said: “Hydrogen is rapidly becoming an important and exciting component of the strategy to decarbonise power production, heavy industry and transport, among other sectors.
“And the revolutionary production of green hydrogen from wind energy offers wider opportunity for markets such as Scotland and Ireland to further exploit our abundant wind resources.
“That’s why it makes perfect sense for SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa to come together to explore how we can use our experience and expertise to harness our fantastic wind resource to bring the green hydrogen revolution to Scotland and Ireland, and so help decarbonise the wider UK and European economies.”
Paulina Hobbs, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service Northern Europe and Middle East chief executive, said: “It took three decades for wind and solar to reach grid parity with fossil fuels, green hydrogen needs to do the same in one decade if we are to reach our 2050 carbon neutral targets.
“Siemens Gamesa is committed to making this happen but it can only be achieved when we work together with companies such as SSE Renewables to help springboard the development and we are very excited to see what this partnership can create.”