Pioneering hydrogen-powered building receives wind turbine
Monday 08 December 2008
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| The second-hand Vestas V29 turbine being hoisted into position at the Environmental Energy Technology Centre late on Friday |
One of the UK's first buildings to be powered by its own hydrogen received delivery of its wind turbine on Friday.
The Environmental Energy Technology Centre in
Rotherham, Yorkshire, will use a Vestas V29 turbine to generate hydrogen from January, which will then be used to power the building.
The turbine delivered on Friday is second-hand, being re-used after being replaced by a newer model at a wind farm at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Delivery of the 30-metre turbine took place late on Friday evening to avoid disrupting traffic on the busy A1 motorway, using two separate trailers for the tower as well as the 29m diameter blades and the hub.
The second-hand turbine is rated at 225kW, capable of producing about 500MWh of power each year, equivalent to the needs of 100 homes.
Energy consultancy TNEI, which is working with the Pure Energy Centre to develop the "Hydrogen Mini-Grid" project on behalf of regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, said the V29 was ideal for low wind speeds.
It will work with a state of the art high pressure alkaline electrolyser to turn the wind-sourced electricity into hydrogen, which will be stored under pressure for use as a transport fuel and to power the building during periods of low wind speeds or high power demand.
"Tomorrow's World"
Yorkshire Forward should be congratulated for pioneering this development and using hydrogen power.
Jason Stoyel, technical manager at TNEI, said: "This development is a real life Tomorrow's World style project which will demonstrate to the wider energy community how hydrogen can be used in a commercial setting. Yorkshire Forward should be congratulated for pioneering this development and using hydrogen power."
The Environmental Energy Technology Centre, which will be home to a number of businesses, will have one of the largest hydrogen storage facilities for a building in Europe.
Yorkshire Forward intends the building to provide a demonstration of the hydrogen mini-grid system as well as attracting businesses to locate to Rotherham.
Yorkshire Forward assistant director of business Jim Farmery said: "The EETC will not only be a cutting edge hub for businesses leading the way in environmental technologies, it is also an example of excellence in sustainable building. The introduction of a wind turbine to the site only adds to its credentials."
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