Under the ‘Cradle to Cradle Islands’ (C2CI) some North Sea islands are used as testing grounds where research institutes and businesses can experiment new sustainable technologies and approaches which can provide local solutions for water and energy.
Shetland Islands Council’s Good Practice is Pure Energy Centre (PEC) – an initiative presented within the Move On Green project. PEC is a world leader in renewable hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Their team of engineers combines a range of skills and expertise in Hydrogen technologies (storage, monitoring and electrolysers), health, safety issues and renewable energy systems. Many of the key customers of the Pure Energy Centre are Grid Constrained or Off-Grid Communities seeking Renewable Energy Solutions to local energy insecurity.
The innovative and decentralised solutions for infrastructure, closing water cycles, risk management and environmental foot prints being developed have potential application worldwide!
For remote and sparsely populated territories such as the Shetlands (and many mountain territories), the challenge is to store as hydorgen energy produced from renewable sources (wind, tidal…) which would otherwise be lost, and to then use this hydrogen as fuel or battery releasing in the air only… water! The PURE ENERGY center studies the economic feasibility of large scale investments in this domain which could bring energetic autonomy to numerous territories.
Have a look at the project fiche realized by the organizers of the RegioStars Awards 2013 and get inspired!
See also:
- Move on Green newsletter where the visit on the spot is described!
- the presentation of all finalist RegioStars Awards 2013.