Green Cat Renewables is delighted to be able to collate its knowledge and expertise in wind, solar, storage and hydrogen, and work as designer on the Hydro Glen Project in Aberdeenshire with the James Hutton Institute.
Sister company Green Cat Contracting was chosen from a competitive tendering process to deliver the construction phase of the HydroGlen project which aims to show how farming communities could soon become self-reliant, green-hydrogen energy producers, capable of generating all their own energy requirements.
Based at the Hutton’s Glensaugh research farm nears Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire, the project plans to combine the on-site generation of renewable energy – wind, and/or solar – and a hydrogen system comprising an electrolyser, high and low pressure storage, a compression and refuelling system and water purifier, with a battery energy storage system (BESS) and an EV charging station. It represents a significant step in decarbonisation for the farming sector, particularly for heavy duty vehicles used in farming systems.
A reliable source of renewable energy, such as green hydrogen, is critical to rural communities in a time of extreme climate change that has seen communities in the north-east left without power for days.
The switch to self-reliant net zero carbon energy producers also has a part to play in combatting increasingly high levels of fuel poverty and in promoting climate-positive farming.
In addition, Scotland’s agricultural sector is currently responsible for around 18 per cent of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions and so the scalable and modular nature of HydroGlen means that it can easily be adapted to other farms.
Gavin Catto, Green Cat Chief Executive said: “Green Cat is delighted to be working with the James Hutton Institute on this important project. Green Cat has been supporting the farming and other rural business sectors to decarbonise for the last 20 years. Our expertise in renewable energy, green hydrogen and complex system integration makes this a perfect project for us – one that we look forward to delivering over the course of the next year.”
HydroGlen Development Officer Niamh Carr commented: “The James Hutton Institute is thrilled to partner with Green Cat Contracting as our chosen contractor for HydroGlen, marking a pivotal step into the construction phase of the project. Together, we’re building a cutting-edge pilot farm-scale green hydrogen and renewable energy facility, driving innovation for a more sustainable future.”
HydroGlen, which was awarded £6.2 million from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund in 2022, is due to be completed at the end of 2025. It will provide a demonstrator project from which government, farming communities and co-operatives, scientists and others can learn. It is hoped it will influence policy change; increase the number of hydrogen projects and provide technological development, skills training and green jobs.
More details of the project can be found at these links. Renewable Energy | Glensaugh Farm