It has been announced today that the final investment decision for the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub – A joint venture between bp and Aberdeen City Council – has been agreed.
The planned hub will feature a hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility, powered by electricity generated at a solar farm to be installed on a former landfill site.
Phase 1 of the project would involve building a hydrogen re-fuelling facility for buses, cars, vans and trucks, powered by a solar farm and linked by an underground solar grid connection.
The renewable energy produced by the solar farm will be used to generate green hydrogen through electrolysis, where electricity is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
The solar farm and hydrogen facility will be linked by an underground solar grid connection. The hydrogen site has a substation grid connection to power it in periods of low solar power production, while excess power can be returned to the grid when high solar power is generated.
Future phases could see production scaled up through further investment to supply larger volumes of green hydrogen for rail, freight and marine, as well as supply of hydrogen for heat and potentially export.
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: ‘This investment by the Council and bp is an important step towards the delivery of the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub project. Aberdeen has been a leader among cities in bringing hydrogen to market for public transport and council fleet vehicles. This project is central to our vision to increase the supply and demand for hydrogen as a fuel in support of the city’s net zero vision.’
Aberdeen City Council co-leader Councillor Christian Allard added: ‘A just transition is something we have done in Aberdeen for more than 10 years – and this is another step towards the net zero future that everyone wants. Who would have thought that we would have a solar farm helping to create green hydrogen here in Aberdeen? The project will establish the city as the Net Zero capital of Europe.’
Dr Oliver Taylor, chief executive for bp Aberdeen Hydrogen Energy Limited, said: ‘This is an exciting milestone for the project, Aberdeen, and its people. Not only does the hydrogen hub support bp and Aberdeen City Council’s shared ambition for the city’s future, it also presents a growth opportunity for the region’s supply chain and skills development.’
bp Senior Vice President Europe, Louise Kingham, said: ‘Aberdeen City Council deserves a huge amount of credit for showing leadership as they progress their plans to deliver lower carbon energy solutions and, for bp, this is further evidence of how we are backing Britain by investing in support of today’s energy needs and those of tomorrow.’
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with production beginning in 2026. Once operational the hub will have the potential to deliver up to around 300 tonnes of green hydrogen a year through the initial phase of the project, enough to fuel 25 buses and a similar number of other fleet vehicles per day.