Glacier Energy, a leading international provider of specialist products, services and engineered solutions for renewable and conventional energy markets has secured funding through the Scottish Governments Hydrogen Innovation Scheme to build hydrogen storage and distribution pressure vessel prototypes.
The awarded project, developed in collaboration with Robert Gordon University explores the feasibility of manufacturing a low-cost affordable hydrogen storage vessel using combined metal core and composite wrapping processes for testing that are both compact and easy to use in the consumer market.
A total of 5 prototype pressure vessels will be manufactured with each varying in size in order to establish structural response and operating limits. It will be evaluating the optimum design for large scale compressed gas hydrogen storage and distribution vessels, at a lower cost than is currently available in the market. Glacier Energy is developing this technology in order to provide alternative hydrogen storage and distribution solutions.
The Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, a fund of £7 million was awarded to 32 different projects across Scotland that are focused on driving innovation in the production, storage and distribution of renewable hydrogen. The formal announcement of the successful applicants was announced by Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf at the All Energy conference in Glasgow.
This funding award is the second successful funding application awarded for this project and follows the Scottish Funding Council Advanced Innovation Voucher Scheme award in August 2022 for the initial feasibility study which was successful and has paved the way for this next stage of the project.
Glacier Energy is successfully using their strong history and heritage to develop innovative solutions for the hydrogen industry. With 85+ years of industry experience designing and manufacturing pressure vessels using traditional materials, combined with Robert Gordon’s University knowledge in high strength composite materials, it is the perfect partnership to drive the success of this innovative project.
Glacier Energy’s Business Development Director, Tracie Watson commented on the award and said: “We are delighted to have been awarded funding from the Scottish Government and to allow us to move on to the next stage of this exciting project.
Finding a cost-efficient and safe way to store and transport hydrogen is key to unlocking the hydrogen economy. Our hybrid, lightweight and safe composite pressure vessel supports the Scottish Governments ambition of 5GW of installed hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
To be one of the successful applicants in this competitive funding call along with 31 other impressive projects is a fantastic achievement for the team and reinforces the requirement for scalable hydrogen storage and distribution solutions.”
Both Glacier Energy and Robert Gordon University now look forward to the next stage of this project.
