Galway Hydrogen Hub (2022 onwards)

The Galway Hydrogen Hub (GH2) was announced by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD (Prime Minister of Ireland) in April 2022. GH2 is a consortium consisting of seven members - NUI Galway, the Port of Galway, CIÉ Group and Bus Éireann, Aran Islands Ferries, Lasta Mara Teo, Aer Arann Islands, and SSE Renewables. GH2’s proposal is to develop a Hydrogen Valley in the Galway region, similar to those launched in other European countries, which links hydrogen research, production, distribution, and transportation with various end users such as transport and industry. Public consultation for GH2 was launched in June 2022. 

GH2 will position Galway as the home of Ireland’s first Hydrogen Valley, providing green hydrogen for use in transport, industry and within local communities in the greater Galway region. The GH2 consortium’s intention is to develop an initial flagship demonstrator project at The Port of Galway, for the indigenous production and supply of clean green hydrogen fuel for public and private vehicles. The green hydrogen produced at GH2 project will be distributed for use by buses and trucks initially, and then extending to maritime and aviation, to deliver a multi-modal, zero emission, green hydrogen transport hub that can be easily replicated across Ireland.

HyLIGHT (2021-2024)

HyLIGHT (Leading Ireland's Green Hydrogen Transition) is a 3-year project funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and a 25-strong industry consortium through MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, UCC, DCU and University of Galway. The overall aim of HyLIGHT is to provide the knowledge, data and the necessary tools to guide the cost-effective decarbonisation and roadmaps for sustainable large-scale implementation of hydrogen technologies in Ireland to enable sector integration for a zero-carbon, secure, resilient energy system. HyLIGHT will achieve its aim by collaborating with the leading national and international companies, universities and stakeholders working to facilitate the delivery of hydrogen to all energy sectors; heat, transport and electricity; but also to where it is needed in industry, in a safe and cost effective manner for energy consumers and industry. Over its 3-year timeline, HyLIGHT has four objectives Vision, Roadmap, Plan, Partnership. The first three each contribute a project milestone. The fourth facilitates collaboration in optional investment opportunities, facilitated by the network and knowledge gained that may build into independent projects outside this project.

GREEN HYLAND (2020-2025)

GREEN HYSLAND aims to deploy a fully-functioning Hydrogen (H2) ecosystem in the island of Mallorca, Spain, turning the island into Europe’s first H2 hub in Southern Europe. This will be achieved by producing green hydrogen from solar energy and delivering it to the end users, such as the island’s tourism, transport, industry and energy sectors, including gas grid injection for green heat and power local end-use.

The project will also deliver a roadmap towards 2050 that compiles a long-term vision for the development of a widespread H2 economy in Mallorca and the Balearic Region, in line with the environmental objectives set for 2050. Indeed, hydrogen will help to increase the penetration of renewable energy in the Balearic energy system, demonstrating sector coupling and sectorial integration, and moving towards full decarbonization of the economy.

Finally, the GREEN HYSLAND demonstrations will provide Europe with a blueprint for decarbonization of island economies, and an operational example of the contribution of H2 towards the energy transition and the 2050 net zero targets.The development of replication experiences and business models are foreseen in five other EU islands (Madeira – PT, Tenerife – ES, Aran – IE, Greek Islands and Ameland – NL) and beyond (Chile and Morocco).

Renewable Revival of End-of-Life Coal Plants (2021-2025)

The rapid transformation of old coal power plant facilities into a hub of green energy will carry many challenges related to the integration of variable renewable electricity into the grid. Hydrogen production and other types of energy storage are an option for improving the overall energy delivery of offshore wind farms. The aim of this project is not only to design the optimal solution for the plant itself but also to understand the impact that the decisions made on the plant will have on the whole energy system of Ireland.

Roadmap for the Development of Electrofuels for the Decarbonisation of the Heat and Transport Sectors in Ireland (2020-2023)

This work aims to develop a roadmap for policymakers based on detailed techno-economic analysis of potential electrofuel supply chains in Ireland. Focusing on hydrogen production from wind, solar, and mixed source grid electricity, the work aims to provide insights into optimal locations, sizes, and operating modes for electrolysers, as well as the different storage and distribution options for hydrogen and other electrofuels for use in hard-to-decarbonise transport and heating applications.

In this video from the virtual MIT A+B Applied Energy Conference 2021, Erin Group researcher Cian Moran presents some of the work carried out by the team as part of the project.

F-CUBED (2019-2023)

F-CUBED (Future Feedstock Flexible Carbon Upgrading to Bio Energy Dispatchable carriers) is an international collaborative project under the European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 programme. It has a budget of €4 million and comprises 14 industrial and academic partners across 6 countries. F-CUBED aims to develop an advanced process concept for the hydrothermal conversion of low quality biogenic residues to superior intermediate bioenergy carriers, increasing the flexibility of a renewable energy system. F-CUBED will evaluate the use of these intermediate bioenergy carriers as a feedstock to increase the flexibility of the power grid, and to produce transportation and heavy industry fuels. It will target residues that do not compete with land that is applicable to food or feed production.

CarbIE (2020-2023)

CarbIE is a 3-year, €396k project funded through the 2019 SEAI RD&D programme.  It is led by the University of Galway, partnered by the University of Liverpool. Its overall aim is to establish the feasibility of CCUS in Ireland. Its specific objectives are: 

1. Capture & transport: An updated techno-economic model of the efficiencies and costs of CO2 capture, transport and storage for Ireland with state-of-the-art technology descriptions.

2. Storage: An assessment of the role of fault stability on CO2 storage capacity

3. Storage: An assessment of Ireland’s potential for mineral carbon capture

4. Use: A design of a nationwide CO2-to-products utilisation network, including supply chains for green hydrogen, other feedstocks, and routes to market

Gencomm (2017-2023)

GENCOMM will address the energy sustainability challenges of NWE communities through the implementation of smart hydrogen-based energy matrixes. The project validates the maturity of hydrogen technologies by implementing 3 pilot plants that link the 3 main northwest European renewable sources (Solar Power, Wind Power, and Bioenergy) with energy storage and the main forms of energetic demand (Heat, Power and Transportation fuels). Based on the pilot plants; integrated technical and financial simulation models were developed. Together, both models form a Decision Support Tool (DST) that provides a roadmap for communities to transition to renewable, hydrogen-based energy matrixes.

The Enabling Support Tool (EST) is currently being developed as a continuation of the DST that will enable bus fleet operators to transition to zero-emission fleets. The final goal of the project is, through the combination of sources and forms of demand, to lead NWE’s road to sustainability while granting hydrogen its position as a commercially viable energy medium for the future.

Causeway (2016-2022)

The Causeway Project is an EU funded project undertaken by Gas Networks Ireland in partnership with the University of Galway. It will introduce a network of 14 grid connected compressed natural gas filling stations (CNG), supports for a fleet of CNG vehicles and a biomethane injection facility to the Irish gas network for the first time. 

Forest residues to produce renewable drop-in fuels in Ireland (2020-2022)

The project is funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). Forestry residues are an underutilized resource in Ireland due to their low energy density and wide distribution in Ireland. Given the quality of forest residues, thermochemical pathways are suitable for sustainable utilization of forest bioenergy. The objective of this project is to investigate the potential of forest residues to produce renewable drop-in fuels for decarbonisation of heavy duty fleets by developing GIS-based supply chains and performing economic and environmental sustainability analyses.

Predicting ignition delay time interface tool (2021-2022)

The project is co-funded by Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) and Siemens Energy Canada Ltd. The objective is to develop a fast, accurate, and graphical user interface tool that can be used instead of a complex chemical kinetic mechanism for IDT prediction over a wide range of operating conditions. An Excel-based interface is being under development for predicting ignition delay time (IDT) of Natural gas (NG) blends compromising C1 – C7 n-alkenes mixtures at engine operating conditions for low, intermediate, and high-temperatures regimes.

Hydrogen – Exploring Opportunities in the Northern Ireland Energy Transition (2020-2021)

Released in March 2021, this report was prepared by the members of the Erin Group for the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy in collaboration with Dublin City University and HyEnergy Consultancy.

Report's link

Lough Ree Technology Cluster – Hydrogen Feasibility Study (2020-2021)

As part of this study, led by FDT Consulting Engineers, a number of potential uses for the decommissioned Lanesboro power station site were analysed, one of which is hydrogen production. The Energy Systems Integration Group at NUI Galway was involved in this aspect of the study, carrying out detailed techno-economic analysis of a number of different hydrogen supply chain options for the region in 2030. A number of modelling scenarios investigated hydrogen production, storage and distribution for heavy duty trucks, industrial heating, and injection in the national natural gas network nearby. The potential for hydrogen production at the nearby 58 MW Sliabh Bawn wind farm was also examined as part of the work.

In this video from June 2021 below, Dr. Rory Monaghan gives an overview of the work carried out to the Midlands Regional Transition Team as part of a lunchtime talk on the Lough Ree Technology Cluster Project (watch from 31:20).