A tidal power-to-gas project in Orkney led by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) has been awarded €11m by the EU-backed Interreg NWE programme.
The Integrating Tidal Energy into the European Grid (ITEG) scheme will couple a 2MW Scotrenewables SR2-2000 floating tidal turbine with an Areva H2Gen electrolyser to produce hydrogen by the end of 2019.
The ITEG project consortium also includes Energy Systems Catapult, Energy Valley/New Energy Coalition, University of Caen Normandy, University of Le Havre Normandy, Ghent University and the Normandy Development Agency.
University of Caen Normandy will support the development of an advanced energy management system and the University of Le Havre Normandy will focus on the impacts of converter choices on the quality of energy exchanges relating to hydrogen technologies.
EMEC commercial director Oliver Wragg said: “With ever-larger amounts of variable renewable energy generation being added to the European grid, issues around energy system management are requiring an even more integrated approach.
“By combining world-leading technology developed in north-west Europe with EMEC’s leading research infrastructure, we will demonstrate how predictable renewable tidal energy combined with hydrogen can enable decarbonisation across the electricity, heat and transport sectors.”
Image: SR2000 (Scotrenewables)
EMEC scoops €11m tidal-to-gas
By EBS