Scotland Invests in Offshore Wind and Tidal Energy for Green Hydrogen

Scotland became the latest country to embrace the hydrogen sector issuing a policy statement in support of the emerging technology and committing to broad investments. The policy calls for investment in offshore wind and tidal energy in the development of green hydrogen to fuel the country and the world’s decarbonization initiatives.

Over the next five years, Scotland is committing to an investment of £100 million (approximately $135 million) in the hydrogen sector for the £180 million Emerging Energy Technologies Fund established as part of the Scottish Government’s Climate Change efforts. The initial goal is 5GW of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen by 2030. The identified capacity of 25GW of electrolysis by 2045 will produce 126TWh per year of green hydrogen across Scotland, with 32TWh to deliver Scotland’s net-zero target and 94TWh of green hydrogen for export, according to the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association.

“We are the first country in the UK to publish a Hydrogen Policy Statement that sets out how we can make the most of Scotland’s massive potential in this new sector. Hydrogen is rapidly emerging across the international community as a sustainable solution for the decarbonization of the economy and a key element of the energy transition picture,” said Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse. 

According to the minister, Scotland has an abundance of the raw ingredients necessary for the production of low-cost hydrogen as well as one of the largest concentrations of offshore engineering expertise in the world. He highlighted Scotland’s renewable energy potential in technologies like wind, wave, and tidal power, to produce green hydrogen. 

Scotland envisions building a new energy sector. They reported that economic impact research suggests the industry has the potential to be worth more than $30 billion a year to the Scottish economy by 2045.

The Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association welcomed the policy statement noting that it builds on the lessons learned with current projects in Aberdeen, Fife, Orkney, and the Western Isles. They predicted that it would help the islands and ports, which will become hubs for energy innovation.