Nha News Summer 2004

Ptomoting UnstBenewaHe tnctgy Proiect in$cotlanil's llorthem Isles was primarily used for heating and transBy RossCazey,ExecutiveCommittee,Shetland portation. During severewinter weather, Renewsble EnergrForumandTbchnical Advise7 where wind chill penetratesevenwell-insuPURE Proiect lated buildings,the cost of heatingrisessigTwo hundred miles north of the Scot- n i f i c a n t l y . T h e h e a v y d e m a n d o n landmainlandthe residentsin the Shetland transportationenergyis typical of many reIslandsare alreadyexperiencingthe future mote communities but its costs are comrealitiesof energyprices.In Unst,the most poundedby the high fuel price (recordedat northerly island in the United Kingdom, a US$6.32a gallonat the time ofwriting). dedicatedteam of local visionarieshave A recent study compiled by Garrad worked together with global expertsto as- Hassan& Partners.Ltd.. has shown the net sessthe abilityof alternativeenergysystems load factor output recorded from the five to deliver not only electricity,but also the existingcommercialwind turbinesin Shetfuel of the future-hydrogen. land to be over 50 percent.This makesthe wind resourcein Shetlandamongthe bestin Europeif not the world, but its intermittent and unpredictablenature meansthat it requiresa significantamount of load management and energystoragein orderto provide a dependableenergysupply.The limitations of the isolatedShetlandelectricitynetwork meanthat the Distributionand NetworkOperator cannot accommodateany more firm connectionsfrom renewablesources.This has meant that, for the foreseeablefuture, any renewableenergyprojectswithin Shetland must either be developedas an ofgrid The wind turbine nacellesarrivein the northernShetlandlslandsin Scotland. system,or must incorporate a substantial

The wind turbine towers arrive in Unst. amount ofstorage to providea guaranteed supply. It was realizedat an earlystagethat hydrogentechnologycould providean energy mechastoragemediumand load-managing nismfor the surplusenergyproducedby the wind turbinesin periodsof low consumption. The storedhydrogencanthen be used as and when required,either for re-conversion to electricityvia a fuel cell to balance the output from the energysystemor used directly as fuel for heating and transportation in much the sameway as LPCor gasoline.

PUItlleueloImcnt I conceivedthe concept of the PURE project earlyin 2002.After growing up on a (continuedonpage 15)

P r o m o t i n g U n s t R e n e w a b l eE n e r g y (PURE) is a pilot projectthat will demonstrate how wind power and hydrogentechnology canbe combinedto providethe energyneeds for five businessunits in a remote rural industrial estate. As the first communityowned renewableenergysystemof its kind to achievefunding anywherein Europe,it representsan importantmilestonein the developmentof greenenergysystems.

PUnI Baclgromd Beingthe most northerlyislandin the U.K.,Unstis effectivelyat the end of the supply chainfor all externallyproducedcomm o d i t i e s , i n c l u d i n g e n e r g y .A n e n e r g y b a l a n c es t u d y r e c e n t l y c o n d u c t e d o n Shetland'sthree most northerlyislandsUnst,Yell,and Fetlar-highlighted that within Unstmorethan 50 percentofthe residents spend approximately20 percent of their householdincomeson energy.This energy

At a careersworkshop, that hydrogenffirs. Gazeytalksaboutthepossibilities

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PURI Ploiect (continued from page 14) small farm in the north of Unst, I gained a n a p p r e c i a t i o nf o r t h e e n e r g yp r e s e n ti n the natural environment from a very early age. After graduating in Electronic and Electrical Engineeringfrom the Robert Gordon Universityin 2001 in Aberdeen, Scotland, I looked for ways in which I could apply the knowledge I gained during the degree course to do something b a c kh o m e i n U n s t . I brought to the local community development agency,the Unst Partnership, my vision of producing locallyan alternative to fossil fuels from renewableenergy, which emits no carbon.The Unst Partners h i p M a n a g e rS a n d y M a c a u l a ys a w t h e project as helpingto addresssome ofthe p r i n c i p a ld e v e l o p m e n at s p i r a t i o n so f t h e community. In laying the foundations in Unstofan embryonichydrogeneconomy,

The PURE projectwill combinewindpowerand hydrogentechnolog)/to provide the energyneeds unitsin a remoterural industrial estatein Unst. for five business

This map of the ShetlandIslandsshows Unst as the most northerlv island.

Sandytook my original project conceptand workshops,manysupportedbythe Shetland In addition, developedit into a projectplanthat consists RenewableEnergyForum(SREF). presentationswere madebythe PUREProjecr of four developmentphases. The first phase was to complete a Teamto local politiciansand officialsfrom technicalfeasibilitystudy that sought to the ShetlandIslandsCouncil(SIC)tomake m a t c h a v a i l a b l er e n e w a b l ee n e r g y a n d them awareofthe strategicimportanceand hydrogentechnologyto the needsofsmall potential opportunitiesarisingfrom hydrob u s i n e s s e isn U n s t , i n a m a n n e rt h a t c a n gen technologies.As a result,the SIChasinact as a demonstrationfor further devel- vested in hydrogenfuel cell kits for use by opment.At this stage,I was contractedby scienceteachersin localsecondaryschools. programis the Unst Partnershipto conductthe feasi- This schoolslrydrogen-learning bility study.Sandyraisedthe financesto now supportedby the SREF. complete this phase of the project from Duringthis stage,I alsocompletedspeScottishExecutive,ShetlandIslandsCoun- cialisttrainingon fuel celland hydrogensysc i l , a n d S h e t l a n dE n t e r p r i s eT. h e f e a s i b i l - tems facilitatedby siGEN,Ltd.,in Aberdeen. i t y e x e r c i s e r e s u l t e d i n t r a n s f e r r i n g The trainingand educationalelementsofthe invaluabletechnicaladvicefrom, and forg- PUREProject are being further developed i n g a c l o s e w o r k i n g r e l a t i o n s h i pw i t h , during 2004 and 2005 through the formal A M E C , S h e t l a n dW i n d - P o w e r ,L t d . , a n d involvementof RobertGordonUniversityin siCEN,Ltd.,an innovativeAberdeen-based Aberdeen,collaboratingon a Knowledge h y d r o g e n f u e l c e l l s y s t e m si n t e g r a t i o n TransferProgramme(aU.K.GovernmentDepartment ofTrade and lndustry supported company. The secondphaseofthe projectwasto program).The KTPis focusedon the implebeginthe localacquisitionof specialistskills, mentation ofthe hydrogenelementsofthe and to promotea more widespreadunder- PUREProjectunderthe guidanceofsiGEN. standingand awarenesswithin the commu- Again,Sandyachievedfinancialsupportfor nity of the potential of renewableenergy this elementfrom the mainpublicsponsors developmentsin Unst.Thiswas startedearly ofthe capitalinvestmentin the PUREproject (continuedonpage 16) in 2003 through community meetingsand

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