SSE Renewables and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the opportunity to produce and deliver green hydrogen through electrolysis using energy from two onshore windfarms in Ireland and Scotland.

The partnership would encompass the whole green hydrogen supply chain from construction to operation and maintenance.

The two companies hope to attract customers across a range of industries such as transportation, distilleries and gas network operators.

Siemens Gamesa is supplier of onshoe and offshore wind turbines and services, while SSE Renewables has an operational renewable portfolio of 4GW.

Hydrogen is seen as a potentially important source of low carbon energy for hard to abate sectors like heavy industry and transportation. The UK Government, for instance, is targeting 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030 as part of its drive to net-zero emissions.

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Under the partnership, SSE and Siemens aim to co-locate hydrogen production facilities at two selected onshore wind farms, one each in Ireland and Scotland. The companies hope that Ireland and Scotland’s abundant renewable energy resources will enable them to export green hydrogen to regions around the UK and to mainland Europe in the long run.

Siemens Gamesa has already brought a hydrogen production plant into operation where hydrogen is produced from an onshore wind project. The Brande Hydrogen pilot site in Denmark features a battery, a turbine and an electrolyser to serve as a test bed for several technology pathways.

Paulina Hobbs of Siemens Gamesa said: “It took three decades for wind and solar to reach grid parity with fossil fuels. Green hydrogen needs to do the same in one decade if we are to reach our 2050 carbon neutral targets.

“Siemens Gamesa is committed to making this happen but it can only be achieved when we work together with companies such as SSE Renewables to help springboard the development and we are very excited to see what this partnership can create.”