The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is investigating uses for oxygen, a by-product of electrolysis, in order to reduce the cost of power-to-gas.
The project will explore how circular economy approaches can be applied to optimise the efficiency of hydrogen production and stimulate the development of a local oxygen market on the Isles of Orkney, where hydrogen is being produced from clean energy.
The initiative includes 30 days of business support from Zero Waste Scotland, an initiative supported by funding from the Scottish government and the European Regional Development Fund.
EMEC has been producing ‘green’ hydrogen since 2017, using renewable energy from local wind and tidal resources to power an electrolyser, splitting water into its chemical components: hydrogen and oxygen. But the cost of producing hydrogen is high, as roughly one third of input energy is lost as oxygen and low-grade heat during production.
This cost is driving business innovation to increase the efficiency and circularity of the process by identifying end applications for heat and oxygen by-products.
Local industries such as aquaculture, horticulture, diving, health and aviation all use oxygen, so integrating locally produced oxygen into the supply chain will increase island resiliency and reduce the environmental impact of businesses that import oxygen from the UK mainland.
EMEC hydrogen manager Jon Clipsham said: “Building on the success of pilot ‘green’ hydrogen projects such as Surf ‘n’ Turf and BIG HIT which have aided the development of a hydrogen economy in Orkney, EMEC aims to explore the potential of the local oxygen market and is keen to receive proposals from businesses to identify local uses for oxygen.
“This project will enable us to improve the efficiency of the hydrogen production process by embedding circular economy principles into our business model. It is hoped that the learnings from this project could be used as a basis for other island projects in Scotland and further afield.”
Zero Waste Scotland energy infrastructure sector manager Scott Bryant said: “This is an excellent opportunity to bring additional economic value to the hydrogen production process. By finding markets for the unused oxygen, we can create new and innovative local business opportunities, and also help to bring down future total energy production costs, making hydrogen generation more commercially attractive. The findings of this project will also help inform other circular economy opportunities in the wider Scottish energy sector.”
Engineering services provider Jacobs is assisting with implementing the project.
Jacobs buildings and infrastructure Europe senior vice president and general manager Donald Morrison said: “We welcome the collaboration between government and industry to inspire innovation that supports better understanding of the full value chain for green hydrogen. This project takes the green hydrogen economy one step closer to be circular, increasing sustainability and ensuring long-term economic viability.”