First wind farm in UK and Ireland to produce renewable hydrogen

Energia Group has begun producing renewable hydrogen from wind energy at our Long Mountain Wind Farm in County Antrim.

Wind energy is converted into hydrogen using an 1 MW electrolyser. The hydrogen is compressed on site and transported to Belfast, where it is used to power double-decker fuel cell buses, which produce zero emissions - just water.

The Long Mountain pilot project was part-funded by Interreg North West Europe as part of GenComm, an EU programme generating energy secure communities through smart renewable hydrogen. 

Find out more about GenComm here.

Maximising wind energy around the clock

When wind energy supply exceeds demand on the electricity grid, the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) asks wind farms to curtail — or shut down — renewable electricity generation because there isn’t enough demand from consumers.  

Now our turbines at the Long Mountain Wind Farm can continue to spin so that the renewable energy they produce is converted into green hydrogen, using an electrolyser.  

This process, known as electrolysis, uses electricity to split water, which is sourced from an on-site borehole, into hydrogen and oxygen. 

Positive energy for zero-emission transport

Hydrogen is compressed on the Long Mountain site and transported to Belfast, where Energia Group owns and operates the first Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HRS) on the island of Ireland at Translink’s Milewater bus service station.  

In 2020, Energia Group signed a deal with Translink to supply green hydrogen to power three hydrogen fuel cell double-decker buses, manufactured by Wrightbus in Ballymena. 

The overall capital investment for the project represented around £4 million with funding support from the Office of Zero Emissions (OZEV) and the Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure.

Read our media release here.

Green hydrogen FAQs

We’ve created an information leaflet for visitors to Long Mountain Wind Farm, explaining how green hydrogen is produced through wind energy and electrolysis. 

You can view or download the leaflet here.

Next steps

Energia has been granted planning consent for a second renewable hydrogen production compound with a 4 MW electrolyser on Rathsherry Wind Farm, near Broughshane in County Antrim.

The proposed development will be located beside the existing Rathsherry substation with access via the wind farm main entrance.

We are at an early stage of development and will ensure residents are kept updated and informed before any construction work takes place on site.