Hydrogen society tested on Orkney Islands

Together with 12 partners from six EU countries, DTU Energy is participating in the major research and development project BIG HIT (Building Innovative Green Hydrogen systems in an Isolated Territory: a Pilot for Europe).

Over the next five years, the isolated Orkney islands north of Scotland will provide the venue for demonstrating and developing the hydrogen community—the production, storage, and subsequent use of hydrogen to meet the residents’ heating, electricity, and transport needs.

Hydrogen is produced by using surplus electricity from the islands’ wind turbines and wave energy systems to split water with the help of electrolysis. Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen, and splitting releases hydrogen molecules that can harnessed for the applications mentioned above.

DTU Energy’s competences in the area of fuel cells and hydrogen production using electrolysis is world-class, and in collaboration with the industry, the department has extensive experience creating sustainable energy solutions of the future.

“Our task in the BIG HIT project is to demonstrate the environmental benefits of the new technology as well as the impact on the surrounding society—e.g. in the form of jobs. In addition, we must calculate the financial viability of this form of energy storage,” says Eva Ravn Nielsen, Center Manager for the FCH Test Center at DTU Energy. She explains:

“It is exciting to be involved in testing the potential of the hydrogen society on the Orkney Islands. We need these new technologies in order to balance the energy supply of the future, where increasing volumes of fluctuating energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind power must be integrated.”

The project is supported by the EU through the European Commission’s Fuel Cells Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU 2) in the amount of EUR 5m.