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Gasometer makes way for new green hydrogen hub for the Highlands


By Calum MacLeod

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Long a familiar sight in Inverness, the gasometer is to be demolished to make way for a green hydrogen hub.
Long a familiar sight in Inverness, the gasometer is to be demolished to make way for a green hydrogen hub.

One of the most familiar industrial landmarks in the Highland capital is set to disappear within the next few weeks.

Demolition work begins this week at the former SGN Commercial gas holder off Harbour Road in the city's Longman Industrial Estate. This will allow the site to be repurposed as a green hydrogen hub for the Highlands.

SGN, which is carrying out the demolition and site clearance, expects the work to take 12 weeks.

Once this phase is completed, geoenergy and green hydrogen company Getech will begin the development of its planned green hydrogen facilities, subject to necessary approvals.

Getech's chief executive, Dr Jonathan Copus, commented: “Today marks the start of the groundworks needed to progress our green hydrogen hub in Inverness. The hub, which is located between the city's rail depot and the industrial area, is uniquely positioned to supply large-volume anchor transport customers.

“The facility, planned to scale over time to a 20 MW capacity, producing c.8 tonnes of green hydrogen each day, will supply rail demand from Inverness station and a significant portion of the area’s heavy goods vehicles and bus fleets. We share a vision with SGN and Highland Council to establish the Inverness hub as an anchor asset for a world-class green hydrogen network spanning the Highlands. This network will support job creation, deliver energy security and provide a sustainable path for the region's net zero transition.

“Through the application of our geospatial and economic analytics, Getech is ideally positioned to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen and to grow its market share in the energy transition. With the UK government targeting at least 50 per cent of its 10 GW by 2030 hydrogen production to come from green hydrogen, we look forward to replicating and scaling our operations, both in the UK and internationally.”

Left to right at the Longman site are: Katherine Frangos, project manager for Getech's hydrogen division, H2 Green; Kathleen Hutchinson, SGN's estates and development manager – Scotland; H2 Green managing director Luke Johnson; and Neil O’Cuinneagain, SGN Place director.
Left to right at the Longman site are: Katherine Frangos, project manager for Getech's hydrogen division, H2 Green; Kathleen Hutchinson, SGN's estates and development manager – Scotland; H2 Green managing director Luke Johnson; and Neil O’Cuinneagain, SGN Place director.

Marcus Hunt, director of commercial services and investments at SGN, said: “It’s great to see the start of the re-generation of SGN’s redundant gas holder site in Inverness. SGN and Getech are aligned around the concept of making green hydrogen a reality in the Highlands and the UK.

"The opportunity to transform redundant industrial sites, like this one, into green hydrogen transport hubs is a great example of how hydrogen offers a path to revitalising the country’s infrastructure on the journey to a low-carbon economy. This project is an important foundation which could help accelerate the Highlands’ broader hydrogen economy and support the UK’s journey to net zero.”

SGN and H2 Green plan Inverness hydrogen hub plan to cut transport emissions


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