The bp Aberdeen Hydrogen Energy Limited joint venture with Hydrogen Scotland member Aberdeen City Council has announced that the final investment decision for its Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub project has been agreed upon. Construction activities are expected to begin before the end of 2024, targeting green hydrogen production from 2026.
Dr Oliver Taylor, chief executive for bp Aberdeen Hydrogen Energy Limited, said: “This is an exciting milestone for the project, Aberdeen, and its people. Not only does the hydrogen hub support bp and Aberdeen City Council’s shared ambition for the city’s future, it also presents a growth opportunity for the region’s supply chain and skills development.”
The Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub will feature a hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility, located at Hareness Road in Aberdeen, which will be powered by electricity generated at a solar farm to be installed on the former Ness landfill site located nearby.
Once operational the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub will have the potential to deliver up to around 300 tonnes of green hydrogen a year through the initial phase of the project, enough to fuel 25 buses and a similar number of other fleet vehicles per day.
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Ian Yuill added: “This investment by the Council and bp is an important step towards the delivery of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub project. Aberdeen has been a leader among cities in bringing hydrogen to market for public transport and council fleet vehicles. This project is central to our vision to increase the supply and demand for hydrogen as a fuel in support of the city’s net zero vision.”
The Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub is a scalable, green hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility in the city powered by renewable energy. The hub plans to be developed in three phases, scaling with growing demands for hydrogen:
- Phase one involves building a hydrogen refuelling facility for buses and trucks powered by a solar farm. The facility aims to produce over 800 kilograms of green hydrogen per day—enough to fuel 25 buses and a similar number of other fleet vehicles.
- Phase two could see production scaled up to supply over three tonnes per day of green hydrogen for road, rail, freight and marine, by 2030.
- Phase three could scale up further to supply hydrogen for heat in buildings and potentially export. Expansion would be enabled by the expected increased availability of local renewable power sources, including developments that emerge from the ScotWind offshore wind initiative.
The solar farm and hydrogen facility will be on separate sites but linked by an underground solar grid connection. The hydrogen site has a substation grid connection to power it in periods of low solar power production, while excess power can be returned to the grid when high solar power is generated.
The green hydrogen and vehicle refuelling facility is located at Hareness Road. The solar farm would be located at the former Ness Landfill site west of the Coast Road. The planning application for the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub was submitted in March 2023 and planning permission was granted at the end of June 2023.
The Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub will be actively marketing hydrogen for use in road transport fleets (e.g., buses, trucks, vans and cars at 350 and 700 barg) and related applications. Get in touch with the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub via their contact us page to find out more about use of green hydrogen to decarbonise transport fleets and to discuss offtake from the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub.
