Funding has been secured for a feasibility study into developing a hydrogen-powered ferry service for Scotland's remote island communities.

Point and Sandwick Trust, which operates the community-owned Beinn Ghrideag wind farm, is leading a project team comprising six private sector companies and a public sector maritime asset company.

The main partners are;

• CMAL, who own the Caledonian MacBrayne ferries which serve Scotland's west coast

• Ferguson Marine shipyard in Glasgow

• Siemens-Gamesa Renewable Energy, the leading supplier of wind turbines to the UK

• ITM Power, one of the world's leading specialists in hydrogen manufacture through electrolysis

• ENGIE, who are specialists in the transport and storage of gas.

• Wood, a global leader in the delivery of projects, engineering and technical services to energy and industrial markets


• Johnston Carmichael, Scotland's largest independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisers, and specialists in renewable finance

The study aims to explore the possibility of using hydrogen manufactured through the wind farm to power the ferry, making it the world's first sea-going hydrogen ferry.

The project will look at the manufacture of the hydrogen using local wind power, the challenges of how to handle, transport and store the hydrogen on local piers, and how the design of the ship and its engines needs to be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel.

Funding for the study has been awarded through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme and the research is scheduled to be complete by June this year.

Project manager Calum MacDonald, who is also Development Director for Point and Sandwick Trust, said: "We have a simple yet bold vision which is to harness the huge potential of community-owned wind power on the Scottish islands to power the lifeline ferry services by utilising the very latest in hydrogen energy technology.

"Turning that vision into reality will be a world-first and requires the very best expertise in both energy and shipping technology.

"That is why I am delighted that the Scottish Government has agreed to fund the initial feasibility study to map out the technical, commercial and regulatory challenges to overcome.

"We hope to produce this first report by the summer and if it indicates that vision is feasible and practical, we can then move onto the development phase with a view to having a ferry operational in the early 2020s."

Image: Calum MacDonald, Project Manager and Development Director for Point and Sandwick Trust.

(LM)