Gigastack project one step closer to producing renewable hydrogen

Funded to date as part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Hydrogen Supply competition, Gigastack is an ambitious multi-phase programme aimed at proving renewable hydrogen at industrial-scale and demonstrating the full decarbonisation potential of offshore wind in one of the UK’s largest industrial clusters – the Humber.

Gigastack Phase 2 has focused on accelerating the expansion of the UK’s renewable hydrogen sector by taking feasibility stage concepts through Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for a 100 MW electrolyser system, using renewable power from Hornsea Two – one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms – to provide renewable hydrogen to the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery, in order to replace hydrocarbon-based fuels within industrial-scale fired heaters.

The two central tracks of work for Gigastack Phase 2 have seen:

• ITM Power progress its next generation of electrolyser technology and move into its new Gigafactory in Bessemer Park, Sheffield, England, now one of the world’s largest electrolyser production facilities, representing a step-change in ambition and capacity, enabling a 40% reduction in costs for electrolyser stacks over the next three years.
• Ørsted and Phillips 66 develop the technical design for an industry-scale renewable hydrogen facility near Immingham, England, exploring the current policy and regulatory landscape, identifying barriers to developing large-scale renewable hydrogen production facilities, with potential solutions identified and building a business case to map a pathway to an investable proposition. The study suggests an opportunity to significantly reduce the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) by approximately 47% by 2030.

Once built, Gigastack will support the decarbonisation of the Humber region, one of the UK’s largest industrial clusters, and support the UK’s offshore wind and electrolyser supply chain competitiveness. The project will also lay the groundwork for future expansion in the region and will catalyse the renewable hydrogen sector by providing a blueprint for scalable electrolyser technology in the UK.

Gigastack has already helped create more than 100 jobs at ITM Power’s Gigafactory and the initial 100 MW is projected to create an additional 180 jobs, whilst an expansion to 1 GW by 2030 could contribute up to £2.5 billion Gross Value Added and 1700 permanent jobs to Immingham’s local economy.

The consortium’s main goal is to now reach an FID in the next 18 months and work towards a commercial operating date in 2025, subject to a supportive policy environment. The consortium will seek to work with the UK Government over the next 12 months to secure revenue support, agree specific deployment targets for renewable hydrogen and ensure the Gigastack deployment target of 2025 is achieved.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/15112021/gigastack-project-one-step-closer-to-producing-renewable-hydrogen/