A hydrogen storage project near Glasgow has been backed by nearly £10 million in UK Government funding, thereby helping create high-skilled jobs and drive progress towards decarbonising the UK transport sector.

Putting Scotland at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy transition and supporting the city’s ambition to become ‘net zero’ by 2030, the £9.4 million cash boost will see the Whitelee ‘green hydrogen’ project develop the UK’s largest electrolyser, a system that converts water into hydrogen gas as a means of storing energy.

It will be located alongside www.scottishpower.com ScottishPower’s Whitelee windfarm, the largest of its kind in the UK, and will produce and store hydrogen to supply local transport providers with zero-carbon fuel.

Developed by ITM Power and BOC, in conjunction with ScottishPower’s Hydrogen division, the facility will be able to produce enough green hydrogen — 2.5 to 4 tonnes per day — that, once stored, could provide the equivalent of enough zero-carbon fuel for 225 buses travelling to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh each day.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands said: “This first-of-a-kind hydrogen facility will put Scotland at the forefront of plans to make the UK a world-leading hydrogen economy, bringing green jobs to Glasgow, while also helping to decarbonise local transport.

“Projects like these will be vital as we shift to a green electricity grid, helping us get the full benefit from our world-class renewables, supporting the UK as we work to eliminate the UK’s contribution to climate change.”