UK’s first utility-scale green hydrogen project to be built in Aberdeenshire
Statera Energy has submitted plans for the UK’s first utility-scale green hydrogen project to be built in Aberdeenshire- Kintore Hydrogen will help balance a renewable-led power system by using surplus renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, providing vital energy security to the UK and saving up to 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year at 3GW. Once constructed, Kintore Hydrogen will be the largest project of its kind in Europe.
Kintore Hydrogen has an operational capacity of up to 3GW, operating as flexible demand, with the ability to ramp up production during periods of high wind. Electricity to power the facility will be sourced directly from the Kintore substation. This nationally significant project will help balance the UK’s power system, enabling the development of more renewable energy sources like offshore wind.
If approved, the first 500 MW of operational capacity is expected to be online by 2028, providing significant support to the green skills transition for North East Scotland. The project is expected to create up to 3,500 jobs during its construction and up to 200 high-quality jobs on-site once operational, delivering a projected benefit of £1bn to the UK economy by 2035.
Tom Vernon, CEO of Statera Energy, said: “The Electricity System Operator forecasts a £5bn saving to consumers if flexible demand, like hydrogen electrolysers, is strategically located behind electricity network bottlenecks in Scotland. Kintore Hydrogen’s location, behind those bottlenecks and close to abundant water resources and wind power from the North Sea, can help to deliver these cost savings to energy users.”
Statera Energy submitted its Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) application for the project on 30th September to Aberdeenshire Council following two successful public consultation events held in April and June 2024, which saw the participation of over 250 local residents. Feedback from these events, combined with extensive environmental and technical studies, has been instrumental in shaping the final proposals.
