Glasgow electrolyzer project doubled in size to 20 MW to meet demand: ITM Power

London — The Green Hydrogen for Glasgow Project has doubled the size of its planned electrolyzer to 20 MW in response to market demand, project partner and electrolyzer manufacturer ITM Power said April 12.

A planning application has been made for the electrolyzer, associated solar farm and battery storage asset, to be sited near ScottishPower's 539 Whitelee wind farm near Glasgow. A planning decision was expected by the end of autumn 2021.

"Whitelee keeps breaking barriers, first the UK's largest onshore wind farm, and soon to be home to the UK's largest electrolyzer," said ScottishPower's hydrogen director, Barry Carruthers.

The project was being led by ScottishPower and aimed to supply hydrogen to the commercial market before 2023.

It would be engineered and operated by industrial gas company BOC, using wind and solar power produced by ScottishPower in a 20 MW electrolyzer delivered by ITM Power.

Hydrogen would be used in public transport across Glasgow, which aimed to be the first net-zero city in the UK by 2030, ITM said.

A 20 MW electrolyzer would be able to produce up to eight tonnes of hydrogen per day, "roughly equivalent to fueling 550 buses to travel from Glasgow to Edinburgh and back again each day," the company said.

The facility would be powered by the 40 MW solar farm and a 50 MW battery energy storage asset, both of which were part of the planning submission.

The electrolyzer, solar farm and battery would be installed about 5 km west of Lochgoin Reservoir adjacent to the existing Whitelee Extension substation.