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EMEC celebrates hydrogen from tidal power

EMEC (the European Marine Energy Centre) has achieved a world first by producing hydrogen gas using electricity generated from tidal energy.

EMEC is a partner in Surf ’n’ Turf, and their success is a milestone for the wider project that will use the gas as fuel at Kirkwall Pier.

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 electricity into a 500kW electrolyser at EMEC’s onshore base.

Neil Kermode, EMEC Managing Director, thanked the organisations who have worked together to reach the goal, including the Scottish Government, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and key contractors ITM Power and Bryan J Rendall Electrical. “Whilst the initial driver behind buying an electrolyser was to provide a storage solution to circumvent local grid constraints, the purchase has sparked other pioneering projects around Orkney,” he said.

Mark Hull, Community Energy Scotland's Head of Innovation added, “As Orkney's communities and businesses pull together to establish the foundations of a local hydrogen network, it’s fantastic to see this achievement. Getting the most out of the islands’ renewable resources is the driving force behind the Surf ’n’ Turf project of which this electrolyser is a key part.”