Hydrogen used as an energy vector: EIR release

Information requested

A more specific response indicating where hydrogen is routinely used as an energy vector.

Response

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations.

We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

“Hydrogen as an energy vector is not new”: In the 17th and 18th centuries, the UK employed coal and “town gas,” a derivative of fossil fuels, as its main source of energy for domestic and industrial needs. Town gas was first discovered in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer William Murdoch, who lit his home and office in Cornwall using a composition of gasses, which included up to 50% hydrogen.

“(Hydrogen) has been used routinely in Scotland in industry for many decades”: Hydrogen is used within industry as a unique feedstock for chemical processes and conversions which have been essential for the oil & gas and petrochemicals industries, including in desulpherisation and hydrocracking; and in ethylene, vitamin, and plastics production. One specific example is at the Mossmorran ethylene plant, operational since 1985, where hydrogen as a byproduct is used as part of fuel for furnaces. Further information can be found at: Your guide to the Fife Ethylene Plant (mossmorran.org.uk).

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