SSE to deliver green hydrogen from Scottish wind farm site after key tie-up

SSE’s renewables arm has sealed a partnership with industrial giant Siemens Gamesa to bring green hydrogen to the UK, Ireland and potentially beyond.

The tie-up between Perth-based SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will explore the opportunity to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis using energy from two onshore wind farms in Scotland and Ireland. Areas being looked at will include construction, supply chain management, customer storage, end user requirements and operation and maintenance.

The two companies, which have signed a memorandum of understanding, will also aim to work with green hydrogen customers across a range of industries including transportation, major distilleries and gas network operators.

Hydrogen has a potentially revolutionary role to play in decarbonising sectors such as heavy industry and transportation. The partnership between SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa will help power commitments by both companies to support the UK and Irish governments in reaching their individual net zero targets.

SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the opportunity to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis using energy from two onshore wind farms in Scotland and Ireland.

Under their deal, the two firms will aim to co-locate hydrogen production facilities at two selected onshore wind farms, one each in Scotland and Ireland to be announced in due course, from which the partners will begin production and delivery of green hydrogen through electrolysis.

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, stated: “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.”

Siemens Gamesa has already successfully collaborated to bring a hydrogen production plant into operation where hydrogen is produced from an onshore wind project. The pilot site in Denmark features a battery, a turbine and an electrolyser to serve as a test bed for several technology pathways.

Last week, SSE said it was looking to add to its “enviable” offshore wind pipeline as it commits to a greener future. The group also reiterated its commitment to a five-year dividend plan to March 2023.

In a trading update to coincide with its annual shareholder meeting, the firm flagged good progress on its disposals programme which is on course to realise more than £2 billion from the sale of non-core assets and businesses that are “not a good fit with SSE’s net zero strategy”.

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