Proposals for a Speyside hydrogen plant have attracted over 160 objections amidst fears it could cause environmental damage to a “region of natural beauty.”
The plant has been proposed for Marypark, about six miles south of Aberlour, with road connections to the A95 Aviemore road for HGVs.
Developer Storegga, who have an office near Aberdeen, say the plant will create around 100 new jobs.
The plans are being supported by a £3.1 million grant from the Scottish Government.
But a growing number from the Speyside community hope to dam up the developer’s proposal.
They say the plant will push the natural limits of the Spey, lowering water levels and impacting fishing and tourism.
‘Leave our beautiful countryside alone’
Storegga anticipate the plant will be operational 24 hours a day, and require 70 HGVs arriving and leaving the site with tankers of hydrogen each day.
Several of the 160 objectors repeatedly raised concerns on the HGV increase on the roads, calling the A95 from Marypark a “bottleneck” and “overloaded with traffic.”
Many have questioned the environmental impact of the proposal in a “region of natural beauty.”
One pleaded with the developer to “leave our beautiful countryside alone.”
Other objectors said the project could have a “knock on effect” on the tourist trade, who come to fish and admire the countryside views.
Storegga said they have investigated over forty possible sites but found the Marypark location to be the most suitable.
A ‘thorny’ issue, but ‘vital’ say supporters
Amidst the objections, there have been five letters of support backing the project.
In their letters of support, they have called the green hydrogen “vital” for distilleries in the area with hopes the plant will bring investment into the area.
One supporter said it was a “thorny issue” but the benefits outweighed the negatives.
“Morayshire needs investment, job creation and economic growth,” they added.
What is a hydrogen plant?
A hydrogen plant works by using renewable electricity to extract hydrogen from water, producing “clean” hydrogen.
Storegga say this will aid in “enabling regional decarbonisation” and help the Speyside whisky industry to move away from using fossil fuels.
If approved, the plant will have a capacity of 70 megawatts and produce 25 tonnes of green hydrogen each day.
Storegga will get the vast majority of its water for the plant from a borehole connected to the Spey, with harvested rainwater added in.
The hydrogen plant has hopes of becoming a regional ‘hydrogen hub’ adding to Scotland’s 13 other planned hubs across the country.
Consequences of plant could travel down the Spey
Once the Speyside hydrogen plant is operational, it will suck up 500,000 litres a day from the river.
An Olympic-size swimming pool typically holds five times that capacity at 2.5 million litres.
Innes Community Council member Jim Mackie has fished the Spey for over 65 years, and disputes Storegga’s claim there will be no impact on the river flow.
Mr Mackie said: “All the calculations on the river flow are averages, they are not looking at the critical times when there are low water levels during the summer.
“[The borehole] will impact the water levels on the Spey.”
He stressed the added concerns of climate change, which increases water temperatures.
He believes this, in combination with falling Spey water levels, could make it much harder for aquatic life in the river to thrive.
“There are a lot more possible environmental impacts that the developers, Sepa and the council appear to be ignoring,” he added.
Storegga has also stated that an undisclosed amount of processed waste water will be returned to the Spey.
Storegga’s research says this will amount to less than a 0.1% change in river water quality, and therefore is “not considered to be significant.”
Scottish Water say they have no objection to the Speyside hydrogen plant.
Conversation