ITM Power makes waves with £1.8m Scotland tidal contract
ENERGY storage and clean fuel firm ITM Power, has won a £1.79m contract to supply a hydrogen system for use at the European Marine Energy Centre tidal test site on Eday, Orkney, Scotland.
The system’s principal component has up to 500 kg of storage and the firm has also offered an additional maintenance contract alongside the integrated system as well as a fuel cell for local back up power.
Including this project, the company currently has £9.97m of projects under contract and a further £5.79m of contracts in final stages of negotiation.
A 0.5MW electrolyser will be used to absorb excess power generated by the tidal turbines testing at EMEC.
The hydrogen gas generated will be compressed and stored, with some of the gas being used in a hydrogen fuel cell to provide backup power to critical EMEC systems.
The remainder of the hydrogen gas will be used off-site by a further project being developed separately which plans to absorb output of a local community wind turbine operated by Eday Renewable Energy Ltd.
Neil Kermode, managing director, EMEC, commented: “We are really excited about the deployment of ITM Power’s PEM electrolyser system on Eday. This is an innovative way to tackle the shortcomings of the local grid which is holding back marine energy in Orkney.
“It will allow us to not only pilot the production of hydrogen fuel from tidal energy, but will allow surplus renewable energy on the island to be used without having to rely upon the inadequate grid.
“We really see this as the moment we begin to break away from the shackles of a 20th century cable architecture.”
Dr Graham Cooley, chief executive at ITM Power, said: “We are delighted with this sale and to be working with EMEC on the Orkney Islands.
“ITM Power’s PEM Electrolysers are perfect for island deployment given the logistics of power distribution and fuel supply and this application by EMEC is a fantastic example as to how the rapid response functionality of ITM’s systems offer freedom from the grid constraints of distributed and remote renewable energy.”
