Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LOCAL AREA
Where is it situated?
The Hydrogen Office forms the centrepiece of the new Methil Docks Business Park, which is being developed as part of a large investment to support the regeneration of the Levenmouth area. Located next to Methil 3 Dock, the Methil Docks Business Park is actively targeting organisations in the fast-growing renewable, hydrogen and fuel cell sector to locate and invest in the area.
What will it mean to Methil?
The Hydrogen Office is likely to be the most significant easily accessible renewable hydrogen demonstration project of its kind in the UK.
By developing a world-leading demonstration project, (with its associated research and development opportunities) the Hydrogen Office project is seeking to attract organisations developing alternative green sources of energy to Methil.
The high-profile Hydrogen Office project is already attracting significant interest from companies with interests ranging from research and development to manufacturing.
How many jobs will the project bring?
The biggest opportunity arising from this project is its potential to attract new jobs in the renewable, hydrogen and fuel cell sector to the area. Independent analysis has indicated that over the next 25 years the Hydrogen Office project has the potential to create up to 1,350 new jobs in Scotland.
Although the Hydrogen Office demonstration centre will employ around 10 people, the Hydrogen Office building itself will be big enough to accommodate 100 people. Next door, Thomson House has demonstrated how successful modern office accommodation can be in attracting jobs to Methil.
What about jobs and training for LOCAL people?
The Hydrogen Office is working closely with local schools, colleges, universities and skills training companies to ensure that local workers and young people can take advantage of the jobs which will be created by this fast growing renewable sector.
QUESTIONS ABOUT HYDROGEN
What is hydrogen?
Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but seldom occurs on its own. Water, for example, is one of the most significant sources of hydrogen.
Hydrogen is not a renewable energy source, but offers a way to store surplus renewable energy. The Hydrogen Office will be creating hydrogen from tap water using surplus renewable electricity. Because this process does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants, this hydrogen is known as ‘green hydrogen’.
Why is hydrogen important?
Green hydrogen is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it offers an important long-term alternative to oil and natural gas. However, unlike oil and gas, the fact that it can be generated from renewable energy means it won’t run out!
In the long-term, Scotland has the opportunity to use its considerable renewable energy resources (wind, wave and tidal energy) to generate ‘green hydrogen’ and to limit the oil and gas that it has to import from countries like Russia, Iran and Iraq. As our own North Sea reserves decline further, this will become even more important.
Secondly, the use of ‘green hydrogen’ does not produce carbon dioxide (one of the main contributors to climate change). It therefore has an important role to play if the UK is to achieve its ambitious carbon dioxide reduction targets. In fact when used in a fuel cell, the only emission produced is water so pure you can drink it!
Increasingly, governments are recognising that hydrogen will be very important to our future; some even believe it will be as important as oil and gas are to us today.
Hydrogen is also likely to be very important for meeting our future transport
needs – vehicles already developed demonstrate the benefits of transport that
does not produce pollution, or rely on oil!
But isn’t hydrogen dangerous?
Any flammable material is dangerous if not used properly. People had similar concerns about petrol when it was first used. Many experts agree that hydrogen is no more dangerous than other common fuels because of its unique properties.
Hydrogen is the lightest gas (14 times lighter than air), so it rises and spreads out very quickly in the atmosphere. If a leak does occur, the hydrogen gas quickly becomes so sparse that it cannot burn.
By contrast, natural gas is only just lighter than air (1.7 times) and petrol vapour is heavier than air. If these leak, they do not disperse as quickly, and create a flammable threat for much longer.
Hydrogen is a naturally-occurring, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic element. By comparison, all petroleum fuels are poisonous to humans.
How much hydrogen are we talking about?
The Hydrogen Office will be storing only small quantities of hydrogen - around 30kgs which is equivalent in energy terms to the petrol carried by three family cars. The system will be designed and built to the highest safety standards and in full cooperation with the relevant safety authorities, including the Health and Safety Executive and the Fire Service.
What about other hydrogen projects?
Hydrogen is widely used in industry, and is now increasingly being used in non-industrial situations. Hydrogen buses across Europe (including three in London) use onboard hydrogen tanks and fuel cells instead of diesel. These buses carry more hydrogen than will be stored by the Hydrogen Office project. In 2004, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, based in the middle of London at one of its busiest times of year, was powered by a hydrogen and fuel cell system.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WIND POWER
For questions on wind power please refer to the Wind Turbine section of the website.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACTS ON ANIMALS AND PLANTS
At the earliest design stage of the Hydrogen Office project, a biodiversity specialist from the Green Business Partnership was engaged to steer the design process with wildlife as a top priority. One of the primary objectives of the redevelopment was to preserve and supplement the range of habitats present in this old industrial site, and so encourage wildlife not only to stay in the area, but to positively thrive. The grounds were carefully thought out to provide the best variety and positioning of habitats, and particularly, to ensure that ‘wildlife corridors’ were maintained, with no obstacles or broken cover to hinder free movement of wildlife from one area to another.
Native tree species (including alder, silver birch, wild cherry and scots pine) will be planted along roads and pathways; shrubs (including holly and hawthorn) and groundcover plants will provide lots of shelter for birds and smaller animals – and act as ‘wildlife corridors’; and sandy areas and log piles will provide homes for all sorts of insects and invertebrates.
Will the turbine affect bird populations?
The Firth of Forth is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protected Area (SPA), and a Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance).
In all of the 145 wind farms currently operating in the UK, not one has been found to have significantly impacted any bird populations.
However, due to the European importance of the site, surveys have been carried out over a 12 month period to catch the seasonal migration of birds in the area. These surveys demonstrate that the turbine is likely to have little impact upon local bird populations.
Will the development affect bat populations?
Recent studies have highlighted that bat populations can be impacted by the presence of wind turbines. Due to the sensitivity of bat populations in the UK, a survey was undertaken in the area to identify whether the turbine was likely to impact on any local bat populations. The study concluded that the turbine was not likely to have an impact on bats.
QUESTIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
What is the estimated payback time in terms of CO2 emissions of the Hydrogen Office and wind turbine?
It is estimated that the carbon emissions saved through the generation of renewable wind energy rather than the use of fossil fuel sources will mean that the Hydrogen Office and wind turbine will ‘payback’ the initial carbon dioxide emissions relating to the construction of the site within 19 to 37 months (depending on the final size of turbine used and wind speeds on site).