Loganair says securing green freeport status for Inverness and the Cromarty Firth would play a major part in establishing the infrastructure needed for airlines to switch to zero carbon fuels.
The UK’s largest regional airline notes the Scottish Highlands can provide a “key building block” in the drive to decarbonise the country’s air transport system, with green freeport status accelerating the generation of hydrogen.
The Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) consortium co-ordinating the bid includes the ports of Cromarty Firth, Nigg and Inverness and also the Highlands’ largest air terminal and Inverness Airport Business Park.
It is backed by Inverness Chamber of Commerce and more than a dozen businesses, as well as public sector organisations and academic bodies, including Highland Council and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
A decision on the eventual two Scottish winners is set to be made later this summer.
Loganair is backing the OCF bid, which could attract £1 billion in investment to accelerate development of green hydrogen technology in the area, with the airline noting it could be a “significant customer” for the fuel produced in the Highlands.
Loganair has bases across Scotland and the UK and, in partnership with hydrogen technology specialist ZeroAvia, has been involved in development of clean propulsion technology for aviation.
The company’s decarbonisation strategy envisages a fleet which is majority green hydrogen-fuelled.
Scottish Power and Storegga to develop Cromarty hydrogen plant
The Cromarty Firth has been identified as being central to future large-scale production of green hydrogen because of its proximity to existing and planned offshore wind farms, which are needed for the new industry’s development.
Energy giant ScottishPower and Storegga have announced plans to jointly develop the UK’s largest green hydrogen plant on the Cromarty Firth.
The project’s first phase expected to be operational in 2025 will be capable of producing up to 22 tons of green hydrogen a day to be used in heating processes in nearby distilleries, as well as regional transportation.
The developers have said green freeport status for the area would have the potential to bring forward more than £1bn in a larger-scale plant by up to 10 years.
Loganair expressed its support for the plans in a June letter submitted to Scottish and UK ministers along with OCF’s bid for Green Freeport status.
In it, the company’s head of sustainability strategy, Andy Smith, said: “We fully support the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport bid, as we envisage being a significant customer for the hydrogen produced from the electrolyser planned for the green freeport.”
He continued: “The creation of a green freeport in the Cromarty Firth would produce significant benefits not only to the local economy, but also as a key building block in the vast range of national infrastructure required to produce and handle the significant quantities of green hydrogen required for a future decarbonised transport system.
Vast renewable power potential of North Sea – Loganair
“The Firth offers a combination of natural deep-water harbour, a broad skills base, high levels of accessible local demand and proximity to the vast, largely untapped renewable power potential of the North Sea.
Mr Smith said Loganair expects Inverness Airport, which is a part of the OCF consortium, to become one of the first UK air terminals with “significant hydrogen uptake.”
A decision on which two of Scotland’s current five green freeport bids will be given the nod is expected this summer.
The closest competition to win the status is thought to be between the OCF bid and the North East Scotland Green Freeport consortium.
Another strong bid has been made by Forth Ports taking in partners between Edinburgh and Grangemouth, while Orkney Council has also thrown its hat into the ring for an Orkney Green Freeport.
Glasgow is also bidding with the Clyde Green Freeport proposal.
Commenting on behalf of OCF, Port of Cromarty Firth chief executive, Bob Buskie, added: “Loganair is a vital part of the fabric of Highlands and Islands life and we warmly welcome their strong support for our bid for green freeport status.
“They, like us, are in no doubt over the key role the rapid development of large-scale green hydrogen technology will play in decarbonising their industry and other sectors.”
Andrew Rae, Professor of engineering at UHI said: “Hydrogen is one of the key fuels to enable zero-emission aviation, especially for larger, longer-range aircraft.
UHI working on hydrogen research for airlines and airports
“UHI is already working with partners at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), in Orkney and Highlands and Islands Airports to investigate the implications of hydrogen, among other alternative fuels on aircraft operations and airport infrastructure.
“The ambition of Opportunity Cromarty Firth to produce, store and distribute green hydrogen at scale to our region is significant in supporting these activities and in meeting Scottish Government’s target of establishing the Highlands and Islands as Scotland’s first net-zero aviation region by 2040.”
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