BIG HIT Launch at Orkeny Islands, Scotland

As part of the BIG HIT project at Orkney, wind and tidal energy is stored as hydrogen. This energy system can solve Orkney’s challenges with curtailed renewable energy.

EMEC on Orkney is the leading European test centre for marine renewable energy. As part of EMEC’s activity, two tidal power devices at Eday are connected to the grid via 11 kV subsea cables. The devices deliver green energy from the strong tidal currents in the Fall of Warness.

Energy Storage as Hydrogen

A 900-kW community wind turbine is also connected to the grid. By use of a 500-kW electrolyser, some of the energy from the tidal devices and the wind turbine is transformed into hydrogen, stored in tanks and transported to Kirkwall for use in vans and to heat and power buildings and vessels in Kirkwall harbour. The method represents a zero-emission energy system. The same method is used for a similar sized wind turbine at Shapinsay connected to a 1 MW electrolyser.

Tidal Power and the Subsea Industry

Around the world, tidal power has a great potential for renewable energy production. One global estimation is 120 GW power. Technology transfer from the oil and gas and subsea businesses into the tidal power industry, can lead to increased development. The learning from BIG HIT can lead to further deployments of renewable energy with fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in isolated or constrained territories. The subsea industry will play a major role in the tidal power part of this scenario.

GCE Subsea Represented

Around 100 delegates from EU and many other countries took part in the official launch Tuesday 15 May. Trond Strømgren was the only Norwegian delegate and represented GCE Subsea and our collaborator Maritim Forening Sogn og Fjordane. During the last two years there has been established contact between GCE Subsea and renewable energy players at the Orkney Islands. Links will be strengthened further at our international Conference Marine Energy in Norway 3-4 October 2018.