Following on from Frazer-Nash’s recent project for the Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), assessing the feasibility of a green hydrogen hub for the Outer Hebrides, the council has announced that it has been awarded pathfinder funding, as part of a £1 million Green Growth Accelerator Programme (GGA), to develop a business case for the hub.
Stephen Livermore, who led on the project for Frazer-Nash, said:
“It’s great news that the Comhairle is being funded by the Scottish Government and Scottish Futures Trust Green Growth Accelerator (GGA) programme to develop a full business case for its Net Zero Hub. We’re really pleased to have played a part, alongside our partners E4tech and Almaas Technologies, in assessing the technical feasibility of the hub’s production of green hydrogen.”
Describing the feasibility study undertaken by Frazer-Nash, Stephen said:
“Our work for the Western Isles Council investigated the technical feasibility of developing a green hydrogen hub that would cover the whole hydrogen value chain: from the input of renewable energy to the end-uses of the hydrogen across a range of sectors. We assessed whether there were credible sources of demand for the hydrogen, both from within the island community and further afield; and if suitable commercially available technologies could be used to produce, store and distribute the required quantities of hydrogen. We also considered the organisational, commercial and financial solutions that would need to be put in place to enable the hub to operate viably.
“To explore and test the bounds of the hydrogen hub, we developed three hydrogen demand scenarios, each considering different potential combinations of end-uses of hydrogen. Based on the demand shown by each of these scenarios, we quantified the requirements for hydrogen production, storage and renewable power generation. Using a techno-economic model, we determined the economic implications of the hub, including total cost of ownership and the hub’s impacts on wider Outer Hebrides economy and job creation.
“The introduction of hydrogen as a new energy commodity for the Islands will require new organisational structures and operational processes, so – having identified that the project was technically feasible – we provided an outline for the next stages of the hydrogen hub project, identifying the key decisions and milestones for project success.”
Leader of the Comhairle, Cllr Roddie Mackay, said:
“We are grateful to Frazer-Nash for the comprehensive piece of work they delivered for us on the proposed Outer Hebrides Net Zero Hub. With support from Frazer-Nash, we’ve been successful in our bid to the Scottish Government’s Green Growth Accelerator which, on Ministerial approval of a detailed Business Case, could provide £10 million towards initial construction of the Hub facility.
“Frazer-Nash’s involvement has fast-tracked our Net Zero ambitions and our stakeholders have been impressed by the quality of work carried out by the consultancy. We now look forward to the development of a Green Hydrogen economy in the Outer Hebrides, enabling us to decarbonise the islands and contribute meaningfully to the UK’s drive towards Net Zero.”
