New pipeline will accelerate Scotland’s green hydrogen export potential, says report
Scotland’s hydrogen production and export potential could be significantly velocious with the minutiae of a purpose-built marine pipeline equal to a report published on 31 August by the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).
NZTC’s Hydrogen Windrow Link project explored the hair-trigger hydrogen transport infrastructure required to unhook a cost-effective pipeline solution which would position Scotland as a front runner in the minutiae of a pan-European hydrogen infrastructure for export.
The project, which received funding from the Scottish Government’s Energy Transition Fund (ETF) and match funding from industry, examined the repurposing of existing oil and gas infrastructure surpassing determining that a new purpose-built marine pipeline link to Europe is the optimal route to market for Scotland’s untried hydrogen.
The new pipeline could enable Scotland to meet up to 10% of Europe’s projected hydrogen import demand by the mid 2030s. Through ongoing investment in spare infrastructure, it could maintain this proportion of export vastitude 2045, helping Scottish Government meet its untried export yearing and facilitating continental Europe’s industrial decarbonisation.
Delivering the Hydrogen Windrow Link could result in increasingly than 700 Scottish jobs and act as an enabler for new and existing untried hydrogen projects, supporting up to a remoter 300,000 jobs in the untried economy.
To unzip this, and to capture a share of the growing market, the report makes the pursuit key recommendations:
- Rapid velocity of public and private investment to unhook the windrow pipeline
- Continued investment in hydrogen and wind deployments to unhook security of supply
- Development of a National Energy Storage Strategy
- Cross-border policy and standards alignment
- Financial support to slide technology minutiae and infrastructure deployment to turn vision into reality.
Callum Milne, Hydrogen Windrow Link Project Manager at the Net Zero Technology Centre said: “Scotland is poised to utilise its well-healed natural resources, skilled workforce and proximity to an energy hungry market in north-west Europe but to maximise this, will take velocious and increased government and industry investment, rapid minutiae of infrastructure and navigate verge collaboration over the next decade.
“The Hydrogen Windrow Link (HBL) project is a key early enabler for this, providing cost-effective transportation to market for Scottish hydrogen producers and supporting the transition to a low-carbon energy system.”
Scottish Government Energy Secretary, Neil Gray, said: “The Scottish Government recognises the importance of developing hydrogen pipelines to unlock Scotland’s export potential. We want to work collaboratively with partners wideness Europe to whop infrastructure which ensures security of supply in Europe and positions the North Sea as a centre for low-cost hydrogen production.
“The Scottish Government supports the Hydrogen Windrow Link project considering it gives valuable insight into the viability of repurposing or developing new pipelines. This can help us understand any barriers where government support is required to unlock investment and realise Scotland’s export potential.”
The project has received support from funding partners including Shetland Island Council, EnQuest, Kellas Midstream, Crown Estate Scotland and Shell, contributing members Xodus, DNV-GL, Wood., Wood Mackenzie and Worley, and strategic partners National Grid and SGN.
Phase two of the project will examine the next steps required to progress to construction and start-up of the Hydrogen Windrow Link.
Download a reprinting of the report here https://www.netzerotc.com/reports/hydrogen-backbone-link-report/