Energy firms aiming to develop major green hydrogen facility in Orkney

OWPL was formed by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, TotalEnergies, and Scottish developer Renewable Infrastructure Development Group (RIDG), and it has submitted a proposal to the Crown Estate Scotland’s offshore wind leasing round (ScotWind) to develop the N1 plan option area west of Orkney.

If given the green light, it says its proposal, called the West of Orkney Windfarm, could deliver renewable power to a green hydrogen production facility at the Flotta Terminal. 

Plans to power the proposed Flotta Hydrogen Hub are being developed by OWPL, with Terminal owner Repsol Sinopec and energy group Uniper, with support locally by EMEC Hydrogen.

Mike Hay, RIDG commercial director, commented: “The production of green hydrogen is a hugely exciting opportunity for both offshore wind and the Scottish supply chain. Projects with substantial capacity factors, such as the West of Orkney Windfarm, could deliver highly competitive power to facilities like the Flotta Hydrogen Hub, which could, in turn, supply demand for hydrogen both nationally and internationally.

“We’ve therefore committed to working exclusively with our partners to investigate this opportunity thoroughly, and have already completed cable routing assessments and nearshore geophysical surveys to better understand the practical aspects of project delivery.”

James Stockan, leader of Orkney Islands Council, said: “Flotta is an ideal location for green hydrogen production… The time is right to maximise the incredible natural assets and geography of the Flow and Orkney to ensure a long-term sustainable, climate-friendly future for our communities."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.