A field application experience of integrating hydrogen technology with wind power in a remote island location

This paper aims to share the field application experience related to the development of an innovative stand-alone sustainable energy system known as the PURE project. The PURE project has been developed alongside a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme, which is supported by the UK Department of Trade and Industry and executed by siGEN in collaboration with The Robert Gordon University. The system has been constructed within an industrial estate on the island of Unst in Shetland, 200 miles north of the Scottish mainland. The energy system now supplies five business properties with clean reliable power and utilises wind turbine and hydrogen technology to provide a sustainable energy source. The stored hydrogen gas generated by the system is used as an energy source for periods when electrical demand within the business properties exceeds wind turbine production. The hydrogen is also utilised as a fuel source for transportation and as a transportable energy source for mobile power generation. The paper therefore gives a detailed description of the PURE project and discusses the field experience accumulated during the development and installation of the system. It also shares a number of practical issues that had to be overcome during its integration and operation. The installation of the PURE project has resulted in a number of unexpected conclusions being identified and marks a significant step forward in the accessible deployment of this technology for community use. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.