Statera Energy has made and submitted plans to create the UK’s first utility scale green hydrogen project. This project will be built in Aberdeenshire and it will be called Kintore Hydrogen.

The purpose of Kintore Hydrogen will be to help balance a renewables-led power system and it will do this through using surplus renewable energy in order to produce green hydrogen. Along with this, the new development will be used to provide vital energy security to the UK and will ultimately save an estimated 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide on an annual basis at 3GW.

It has been stated that once it has been constructed, Kintore Hydrogen will become the largest project of its kind within Europe. By 2028 it is expected that the first 500 MW of operational capacity will be online and furthermore, it is also expected that when it is operating at its full, 3GW capacity, Kintore Hydrogen has the potential to save a maximum of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide on an annual basis.

A large benefit of creating this project, is that it will help to balance the UK’s power system, therefore making it possible to go ahead and develop more renewable energy sources, such as offshore wind. Along with this, the green hydrogen that is produced by Kintore Hydrogen, has the potential to plan a large and important role in decarbonising the UK’s carbon-intensive sectors, this could include heavy industries and flexible power generation.

It was back in 2016 that Statera Energy was founded and it was purposefully founded in order to aid the UK in their transformational shift to a renewable led energy system. The plan for carrying this out, is to provide flexible storage solutions which help when it comes to balancing energy supply.

Along with Kintore Hydrogen’s main purpose, the new development will also be used to provide significant support to the green skills transition. At the moment the project is expected to create around 3,500 jobs throughout its construction period and then it will loo to have up to 200 high quality jobs on-site once it is operational. Through all of this, the project should deliver a benefit of £1bn to the UK economy by 2035.

CEO Statera Energy, Tom Vernon, commented, “We are delighted to have submitted planning for Kintore Hydrogen, the first utility scale green hydrogen project in the UK. If approved, Kintore Hydrogen could materially contribute to the growth of the UK’s hydrogen economy, support the UK’s energy independence, and accelerate the development of homegrown industrial supply chains.”

Vernon also stated, “Over the coming years, the sheer volume of wind generation coming onto the system in the UK will make electrolysers critical for harnessing wind energy that would otherwise go to waste. Kintore Hydrogen will convert surplus wind power to green hydrogen to be used when and where it is needed most. Kintore Hydrogen is designed to fully capitalise on the potential that hydrogen has to offer. The location and scale of this project means it can make best use of surplus wind power, lowering hydrogen production costs. It will help balance the grid, contribute to the UK’s energy security, and support the decarbonisation of the UK’s hard-to-abate industries and power sector.”