BIG HIT builds on foundations laid by the Orkney Surf ‘n’ Turf initiative, which will see production of hydrogen on the islands of Eday and Shapinsay using wind and tidal energy.
Renewable electricity generated on the islands of Eday and Shapinsay is used by electrolysers to produce hydrogen, by electrolysis of water. This hydrogen is then stored as high pressure gas in the tube trailers, which can be transported to mainland Orkney.
BIG HIT uses two state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers. The Shapinsay electrolyser is 1MW capacity and Eday electrolyser is 0.5MW capacity, both located close to the renewable generation assets. The hydrogen acts as an energy-storage medium which can later be converted back into heat and power for buildings and vessels in Kirkwall harbour, as well as the fuel for the operation of zero-emission hydrogen vehicles in and around Kirkwall.
These two PEM electrolysers will produce about 50 tonnes of hydrogen each year from constrained renewables. This ‘zero carbon’ hydrogen can be used to heat local buildings, and will also be transported by sea ferry to Kirkwall in 5 hydrogen tube-trailers. In Kirkwall a 75 kW hydrogen fuel cell will supply heat and power for several harbour buildings, a marina and 3 ferries (when docked) in Kirkwall. And finally, a hydrogen refuelling station in Kirkwall will fuel the 10 Symbio hydrogen fuel cell road vehicles.
Further information can be found under www.bighit.eu