‘First of its kind’ green hydrogen production plant planned near Glasgow

Plans have been revealed for a £45 million commercial hydrogen production hub near Glasgow – aiming to be the first of its kind in Scotland.The plant, which will harness solar and wind power to produce ‘green hydrogen’, is being developed by Scottish energy firm Hy2Go.Work will start on the project early next year, with the ambition that the facility will be partially up and running later in 2021 – and in time to provide Scottish hydrogen fuel to transport COP26 delegates around Glasgow.Hydrogen company Ryse Hydrogen has enabled the project to get off the ground by agreeing a significant offtake agreement for the plant’s hydrogen once fuel production commences.It is anticipated that the hub will secure Scotland’s future as a leader in the hydrogen sector, which is estimated to be worth £18 billion to the UK economy by 2035 and could create 75,000 jobs in the UK. The Scottish Government is due to publish a hydrogen action plan by the end of the year, which will aim to grow Scotland’s hydrogen industry over the coming decades.The 51-acre plant, at Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire, will have its own wind turbines and solar panels which will feed a 9MW hydrogen electrolyser, with the capacity to increase the electrolyser size to 20MW in a second-phase expansion.An estimated 16 jobs will be created during construction of the facility, with a further 16 permanent jobs created when the hub is fully operational.The facility will initially produce 800,000 kg of hydrogen per annum, with production eventually increasing to 1 million kg per annum. Use of this zero emission hydrogen would be the equivalent of removing 7,500 cars off Scottish roads every year.The deal between Ryse and Hy2Go was procured by Hy2Go co-founder and director, Simon Coakley, who has been involved in the overall project for a number of years.Hy2Go chairman, businessman and entrepreneur Brendan Flood, said he was excited about the possibilities the project would bring.Ryse Hydrogen is owned by Jo Bamford, who also owns Wrightbus – creators of the world’s first hydrogen double deckers, the first of which were launched onto the streets of Aberdeen earlier this month.Touted as the best alternative renewable fuel to power everything from buses, trains, lorries, ships and planes, as well as for use in domestic central heating boilers and heavy industry, green hydrogen is made using sustainable methods and emits only water vapour.