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Background to the H2seed Project
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (the Western Isles Council) has a vision to establish a hydrogen economy within the Outer Hebrides. The Hebridean Hydrogen Seed (H2seed) Project, the second phase of the Hebridean Hydrogen Park, will establish a renewable hydrogen production, storage and distribution facility on the island by summer 2008.
The region suffers from the highest fuel costs in the UK and yet is surrounded by the richest renewable energy resources in Europe. However, exploitation of this resource for electrical generation is presently constrained by the weak nature of the region’s connection to the national grid.
These circumstances represent a unique opportunity for demonstrating hydrogen technology. Harnessing the rich renewable and sustainable energy resources, particularly wind, for hydrogen generation rather than electrical transmission will enable the demonstration of pre-commercial hydrogen technologies on a near-commercial basis.
Details of the vision for the Hebridean Hydrogen Park may be found on the project web-site (www.hydrogenhebrides.com).
Opportunity
The Comhairle wishes to procure a hydrogen fuelling station to store and dispense hydrogen generated by an electrolyser with an output of 5Nm3/h at a pressure of 30bar. The hydrogen fuelling station will comprise the following subsystems:
- Hydrogen low pressure buffer storage system (up to 30bar working pressure);
- Hydrogen compressor;
- Hydrogen high pressure storage system; and,
- Hydrogen fuel dispenser.
As the electrical supply to the electrolyser will be generated from renewable resources hydrogen generation will be intermittent.
The attached document provides the Scope of Requirements for the equipment. The complete set of tender documents, detailing the procedure for submitting a tender, can be obtained from the contact indicated below. The closing date for receipt of tenders is Monday 3rd March 2008 at 1600 (GMT).
A tender announcement for this service was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on January 12th 2008. |
