EMEC has completed a demonstration integrating tidal power, battery storage and hydrogen production at its site on Eday in Orkney.
The project combined Orbital Marine Power’s O2 tidal turbine, vanadium flow batteries from Invinity Energy Systems and an ITM Power 670kW electrolyser, the centre said.
Multiple operating scenarios were tested with tidal power used to charge the battery system, supply the electrolyser and export to the grid, it added.
When tidal output was low, the battery discharged to keep the electrolyser running, smoothing the cyclical profile of tidal energy and enabling on-demand hydrogen production.
All planned scenarios were completed and additional safety measures proved effective during the trial.
The demonstration was part of the Interreg North-West Europe funded ITEG project and also received support from the Scottish Government via Highlands and Islands Enterprise, alongside the EU-funded FORWARD2030 initiative.
“HIE and Scottish Government are pleased to have supported the deployment of innovative technologies at EMEC which have combined in this ground-breaking demonstration,” said Graeme Harrison, head of marine energy at Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
“This world-first demonstration represents the culmination of years of effort to integrate tidal energy, battery storage and hydrogen production,” added Leonore Van Velzen, operations and maintenance manager at EMEC.
“This unique project showcases the strengths of our vanadium flow battery technology as a high-cycling, non-degrading and fundamentally safe form of long-duration energy storage,” stated Jonathan Marren, chief executive at Invinity Energy Systems.
“Tidal energy offers a predictable source of renewable power, and this demonstration shows how we can unlock its full potential through innovative integration,” said Andrew Scott, chief executive at Orbital Marine Power.