Plans have been unveiled to turn the Flotta Oil Terminal in Orkney into one of the world’s first large-scale green hydrogen plants.
A consortium formed by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, TotalEnergies and Scottish developer Renewable Infrastructure Development Group, known as the Offshore Wind Power Limited (OWPL), has submitted the proposal to Crown Estate Scotland.
If successful, its proposal, called the West of Orkney Windfarm, could deliver renewable power to a green hydrogen production facility at the Flotta Terminal.
It is expected that the plans could be up and running by 2028.
Green hydrogen involves renewable energy being used to split water into two parts, creating hydrogen.
The OWPL has already submitted a bid to develop a 2GW offshore wind farm to the west of Orkney.
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“If this plan comes to fruition, and with the vocal support of Orkney Council it hopefully will, it would bring a pioneering facility with one of the world’s first large-scale hydrogen plants.
“It would also create jobs beyond the plant itself, in the wider supply chain.
“The SNP Government is putting a lot of work into the Just Transition from oil and gas towards renewable energy, and to see these energy giants leading and proactively investing in that crucial transition is extremely heartening.”
In September, the SNP Government appointed leading climate scientist and IPCC Bureau member Professor Jim Skea CBE to lead the Just Transition Commission, which will report annually on the progress Scotland is making to ensure a greener, fairer future for us all.
For more details on this topic, read Just Transition: A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Scottish Government Response.
Image: Flotta Hydrogen Hub
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