Case Studies

Across the county individuals and organisations are already taking the action that will propel us towards the vision. By sharing some of these below the aim is to encourage their sustainability, replication, and escalation.
Dorset Climate Action Network (CAN) Energy Group
Energy is one of Dorset CAN’s working groups, a team of local residents considering both the saving of energy and the switch to renewables. The group is open to anyone interested in getting involved and further information can be found on their website.
Springhead Trust
Springhead’s mission is to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to experience and value the rural environment, and to learn about the sustainable use of natural resources; as well as to conserve the buildings and gardens as a special place for education, enjoyment of the arts, music and rural culture.
The ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array, which was installed next to Springhead’s car park in May 2015, converts sunlight into electricity. Any surplus electricity generated is fed into the National Grid, which helps reduce the need to generate electricity from fossil fuel power stations. Springhead’s 3 kW crossflow hydropower turbine, which uses water from the lake to generate electricity, has also been a successful investment, generating nearly 50,000 kWh since it was installed in 2016.
Both the installations are owned and managed by local community investment company, Energize Stur Valley Industrial and Provident Society (ESVIPS). Keith Wheaton Green, a volunteer with ESVIPS, who helps to maintain the renewable technology, explains that as well as saving energy, the panels and turbine save money for the charity: “To date, we have billed Springhead £3,403 for the electricity used, saving Springhead £6,760 in electricity bills from their supplier”.
Blandford Hill Eco Hub
One of the additional benefits of renewable energy installations is their ability to be deployed directly in the location required. The Blandford Hill Eco Hub project is a local example of this. The proposal consists of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a 15MW ground-mounted solar farm and a 3MW battery storage facility on land south of the A354 at Blandford Hill, Winterborne Whitechurch near Blandford Forum.
Dorset Climate Action Network (CAN) Energy Group
Energy is one of Dorset CAN’s working groups, a team of local residents considering both the saving of energy and the switch to renewables. The group is open to anyone interested in getting involved and further information can be found on their website.
Springhead Trust
Springhead’s mission is to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to experience and value the rural environment, and to learn about the sustainable use of natural resources; as well as to conserve the buildings and gardens as a special place for education, enjoyment of the arts, music and rural culture.
The ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array, which was installed next to Springhead’s car park in May 2015, converts sunlight into electricity. Any surplus electricity generated is fed into the National Grid, which helps reduce the need to generate electricity from fossil fuel power stations. Springhead’s 3 kW crossflow hydropower turbine, which uses water from the lake to generate electricity, has also been a successful investment, generating nearly 50,000 kWh since it was installed in 2016.
Both the installations are owned and managed by local community investment company, Energize Stur Valley Industrial and Provident Society (ESVIPS). Keith Wheaton Green, a volunteer with ESVIPS, who helps to maintain the renewable technology, explains that as well as saving energy, the panels and turbine save money for the charity: “To date, we have billed Springhead £3,403 for the electricity used, saving Springhead £6,760 in electricity bills from their supplier”.
Blandford Hill Eco Hub
One of the additional benefits of renewable energy installations is their ability to be deployed directly in the location required. The Blandford Hill Eco Hub project is a local example of this. The proposal consists of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a 15MW ground-mounted solar farm and a 3MW battery storage facility on land south of the A354 at Blandford Hill, Winterborne Whitechurch near Blandford Forum.

By combining green electricity generation, storage and charging, the project is maximising the potential of renewable power with charging for up to 19 EVs at a time. Around 6 ultra-rapid (up to 350kW) and 6 rapid (43-100kW) charging points with additional fast chargers and Tesla “Superchargers” are proposed. These chargers would allow all types of EVs to charge at the eco hub.
After starting the public consultation process for the plans in February 2021, the planning application was submitted to Dorset Council in July 2021.
Low Carbon Dorset
Low Carbon Dorset is a major five-year programme of activities to help stimulate growth in Dorset’s low carbon economy and reduce the county’s footprint. One example is below but there are many more case studies available on their website.
Lyme Regis Baptist Church
Centuries old, the Lyme Regis Baptist Church and its community are leading the way in the green energy revolution, with environmental considerations embedded deep within their values. Only the second church in the UK to be awarded the Bronze Eco Church Award (beaten only by St. Paul’s Cathedral), the church currently holds a Silver certification and is always on the lookout for ways to further reduce their environmental impact.
With the help of a Low Carbon Dorset grant, the Church has installed a 10kWp array of Solar PV panels on two of their buildings’ roofs and replaced old inefficient lighting with LEDs. It is estimated that the panels will generate just under 10,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) each year. If the church can use 100% of the energy generated this would lead to an annual saving of around £1.3k. Duncan Wood, from Lyme Regis Baptist Church is reported as acknowledging “The amount of help and advice that we received from Low Carbon Dorset was incredible. We believe that Creation Care is part of our Christian responsibility. This project was an essential part of that outlook – the financial gains were a very welcome, but secondary, benefit.”
Dorset Community Energy
Dorset Community Energy (DCE) is a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, which facilitates community ownership of renewable energy production. The Society was established in 2013 with support from the BIG Lottery-funded ‘Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset’ project. It has 152 members and is managed by a board of Non-Executive Directors. These members have invested £490,000 in DCE, which has financed the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on twelve schools and four community buildings in Dorset; the total installed capacity is 420 kW.
Electricity is currently provided to 18 schools, 4 community buildings and 3 hospitals at zero or low cost, saving the sites a total of £55,000 per year, any electricity not used on site is exported to the national electricity grid. Revenue is generated from the sale of electricity and from the government’s feed-in-tariff. The income covers the operational cost of the Society and provides a return on investment to member shareholders.
In 2019 DCE launched its third share offer and raised £445,000, and also secured a 40% grant from Dorset Council’s EU-funded Low Carbon Dorset programme. This will enable the installation of a further 700kW of solar photovoltaic panels across ten sites bringing DCE’s total capacity to 1120kW. As of April 2021, 602kW of the 700kW has been installed with completion expected by June 2021. DCE recently reopened its 3rd Share Offer and reached the target of £194,000 in just 10 days. This will allow the installation a further 467kW of rooftop solar on three more Dorset schools.
Energy Local Clubs also create new opportunities for community energy. In Phase 2 for Energy Local Bridport, DCE would like to invest in building one or two 250kW ground-mounted solar PV arrays in the Bridport area. The array(s) would be financed by a Dorset Community Energy share offer, and the electricity generated sold to local households or businesses through an Energy Local Club.
DCE is currently conducting feasibility studies and pre-planning applications on two potential sites just outside of Bridport. The sites have been selected for their grid connection and low visual impact.
This follows the pilot scheme which will allow 60 households in the Bridport area to purchase the electricity generated by the 50kW wind turbine at Salway Ash. After some delays from Covid 19 and the development of local supply metering and billing technology by Octopus Energy, Energy Local Bridport is anticipated to be operational by late September 2021. It will be the first example in England of locally generated renewable electricity supplied to local households through the grid at lower cost than existing grid electricity costs.
Solar Streets, Swanage
Solar Streets is a way of getting solar panels for your house or business at discounted prices. In this project Swanage residents can directly help in the fight against climate change, as well as helping their local community, with a donation to the Swanage Sustainable Community Fund given on every install.
Solar panels will be installed by IDDEA Ltd. Established in 2008, IDDEA have installed over 1,000 solar projects across the South and are committed to supporting communities to take action against climate change. They have installed Solar Streets projects in the South of England, including Frome, Glastonbury, Wells, Bruton & Castle Cary, as well as St Albans, Henley, and others.
The Standard Offering is a 3.6 kW system including installation and costs about £4,100, saving about a tonne of carbon dioxide per year according to the Energy Saving Trust. Participants can also take advantage of optional extras, such as optimisation software, battery storage and electric car charging points.
Residents need to pay for the panels but as well as the are the usual funding avenues, residents in the
South-West of England can access support from Lendology who work with local Councils to provide loans to householders.
The scheme is being championed by Sustainable Swanage who work on projects that help the community lower their carbon footprint and improve the local environment and explained “We are really excited by the Solar Streets project, it is a fantastic opportunity for our community, it fits with our aims and helps residents access renewable energy options more easily and at a reduced cost.” Residents can contact Sarah Spurling via [email protected] for more information.
ECO, Solar Farms
Since 2013, Eco Sustainable Solutions has been working to develop a number of Solar Power installations surrounding its Eco Park near Bournemouth.
To date, this has resulted in three major developments which now form one of the largest spreads of solar panels in the UK, totalling some 380 acres. The solar farms have the ability to generate 70MW of electricity and power 27,000 homes.
The Chapel Lane solar farm was the largest in the UK when it opened in 2014, covering 310 acres, which is equivalent to 5,000 tennis courts or 175 football pitches.
The panels are mounted on the ground on racks at a 30-degree angle. The heights range from 2ft7ins and 9ft6ins and this ensures that the land can still be used for agriculture – particularly grazing by sheep.
Trelawney Dampney (Managing Director) points out, “We managed to achieve the solar farm with minimal disruption to our neighbours, while still keeping the land for sheep grazing. I am very proud that our vision to create a solar farm providing clean, green energy has been realised.”
Renewable energy generation, Bournemouth University
BU has invested in renewable technologies to help cut grid supplied gas and power, carbon and costs. All four new builds met BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A standards. Three of the buildings incorporate ground source heat pumps to provide renewable heat and cooling for the buildings. All have extensive PV arrays on their roofs and BU now has more than 1,500 solar photovoltaic panels across buildings on the Talbot and Lansdowne campuses. This equates to approximately 500kW of peak generation capacity.
BU has also invested in a biomass boiler, which provides most of the heat and hot water for Poole House on Talbot campus. Whilst biomass is considered to be carbon neutral there is still a carbon impact involved in the felling, processing and transportation of the wood chip that the boiler uses as well as in the disposal of the ash created as a biproduct of the combustion process. In order to mitigate these impacts, BU sources wood chip from a local company, just outside of Ringwood, who grow crops of trees in a renewable manner for biomass. The same company collects the ash and uses it to fertilise the ground to grow more trees.
Household renewable energy generation
Further examples of Dorset properties where householders have invested in renewable heat and power schemes can be seen on-line.
After starting the public consultation process for the plans in February 2021, the planning application was submitted to Dorset Council in July 2021.
Low Carbon Dorset
Low Carbon Dorset is a major five-year programme of activities to help stimulate growth in Dorset’s low carbon economy and reduce the county’s footprint. One example is below but there are many more case studies available on their website.
Lyme Regis Baptist Church
Centuries old, the Lyme Regis Baptist Church and its community are leading the way in the green energy revolution, with environmental considerations embedded deep within their values. Only the second church in the UK to be awarded the Bronze Eco Church Award (beaten only by St. Paul’s Cathedral), the church currently holds a Silver certification and is always on the lookout for ways to further reduce their environmental impact.
With the help of a Low Carbon Dorset grant, the Church has installed a 10kWp array of Solar PV panels on two of their buildings’ roofs and replaced old inefficient lighting with LEDs. It is estimated that the panels will generate just under 10,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) each year. If the church can use 100% of the energy generated this would lead to an annual saving of around £1.3k. Duncan Wood, from Lyme Regis Baptist Church is reported as acknowledging “The amount of help and advice that we received from Low Carbon Dorset was incredible. We believe that Creation Care is part of our Christian responsibility. This project was an essential part of that outlook – the financial gains were a very welcome, but secondary, benefit.”
Dorset Community Energy
Dorset Community Energy (DCE) is a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, which facilitates community ownership of renewable energy production. The Society was established in 2013 with support from the BIG Lottery-funded ‘Communities Living Sustainably in Dorset’ project. It has 152 members and is managed by a board of Non-Executive Directors. These members have invested £490,000 in DCE, which has financed the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on twelve schools and four community buildings in Dorset; the total installed capacity is 420 kW.
Electricity is currently provided to 18 schools, 4 community buildings and 3 hospitals at zero or low cost, saving the sites a total of £55,000 per year, any electricity not used on site is exported to the national electricity grid. Revenue is generated from the sale of electricity and from the government’s feed-in-tariff. The income covers the operational cost of the Society and provides a return on investment to member shareholders.
In 2019 DCE launched its third share offer and raised £445,000, and also secured a 40% grant from Dorset Council’s EU-funded Low Carbon Dorset programme. This will enable the installation of a further 700kW of solar photovoltaic panels across ten sites bringing DCE’s total capacity to 1120kW. As of April 2021, 602kW of the 700kW has been installed with completion expected by June 2021. DCE recently reopened its 3rd Share Offer and reached the target of £194,000 in just 10 days. This will allow the installation a further 467kW of rooftop solar on three more Dorset schools.
Energy Local Clubs also create new opportunities for community energy. In Phase 2 for Energy Local Bridport, DCE would like to invest in building one or two 250kW ground-mounted solar PV arrays in the Bridport area. The array(s) would be financed by a Dorset Community Energy share offer, and the electricity generated sold to local households or businesses through an Energy Local Club.
DCE is currently conducting feasibility studies and pre-planning applications on two potential sites just outside of Bridport. The sites have been selected for their grid connection and low visual impact.
This follows the pilot scheme which will allow 60 households in the Bridport area to purchase the electricity generated by the 50kW wind turbine at Salway Ash. After some delays from Covid 19 and the development of local supply metering and billing technology by Octopus Energy, Energy Local Bridport is anticipated to be operational by late September 2021. It will be the first example in England of locally generated renewable electricity supplied to local households through the grid at lower cost than existing grid electricity costs.
Solar Streets, Swanage
Solar Streets is a way of getting solar panels for your house or business at discounted prices. In this project Swanage residents can directly help in the fight against climate change, as well as helping their local community, with a donation to the Swanage Sustainable Community Fund given on every install.
Solar panels will be installed by IDDEA Ltd. Established in 2008, IDDEA have installed over 1,000 solar projects across the South and are committed to supporting communities to take action against climate change. They have installed Solar Streets projects in the South of England, including Frome, Glastonbury, Wells, Bruton & Castle Cary, as well as St Albans, Henley, and others.
The Standard Offering is a 3.6 kW system including installation and costs about £4,100, saving about a tonne of carbon dioxide per year according to the Energy Saving Trust. Participants can also take advantage of optional extras, such as optimisation software, battery storage and electric car charging points.
Residents need to pay for the panels but as well as the are the usual funding avenues, residents in the
South-West of England can access support from Lendology who work with local Councils to provide loans to householders.
The scheme is being championed by Sustainable Swanage who work on projects that help the community lower their carbon footprint and improve the local environment and explained “We are really excited by the Solar Streets project, it is a fantastic opportunity for our community, it fits with our aims and helps residents access renewable energy options more easily and at a reduced cost.” Residents can contact Sarah Spurling via [email protected] for more information.
ECO, Solar Farms
Since 2013, Eco Sustainable Solutions has been working to develop a number of Solar Power installations surrounding its Eco Park near Bournemouth.
To date, this has resulted in three major developments which now form one of the largest spreads of solar panels in the UK, totalling some 380 acres. The solar farms have the ability to generate 70MW of electricity and power 27,000 homes.
The Chapel Lane solar farm was the largest in the UK when it opened in 2014, covering 310 acres, which is equivalent to 5,000 tennis courts or 175 football pitches.
The panels are mounted on the ground on racks at a 30-degree angle. The heights range from 2ft7ins and 9ft6ins and this ensures that the land can still be used for agriculture – particularly grazing by sheep.
Trelawney Dampney (Managing Director) points out, “We managed to achieve the solar farm with minimal disruption to our neighbours, while still keeping the land for sheep grazing. I am very proud that our vision to create a solar farm providing clean, green energy has been realised.”
Renewable energy generation, Bournemouth University
BU has invested in renewable technologies to help cut grid supplied gas and power, carbon and costs. All four new builds met BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A standards. Three of the buildings incorporate ground source heat pumps to provide renewable heat and cooling for the buildings. All have extensive PV arrays on their roofs and BU now has more than 1,500 solar photovoltaic panels across buildings on the Talbot and Lansdowne campuses. This equates to approximately 500kW of peak generation capacity.
BU has also invested in a biomass boiler, which provides most of the heat and hot water for Poole House on Talbot campus. Whilst biomass is considered to be carbon neutral there is still a carbon impact involved in the felling, processing and transportation of the wood chip that the boiler uses as well as in the disposal of the ash created as a biproduct of the combustion process. In order to mitigate these impacts, BU sources wood chip from a local company, just outside of Ringwood, who grow crops of trees in a renewable manner for biomass. The same company collects the ash and uses it to fertilise the ground to grow more trees.
Household renewable energy generation
Further examples of Dorset properties where householders have invested in renewable heat and power schemes can be seen on-line.

North Fossil Farm, Winfrith Newburgh
This is a pioneering project that delivers new renewable energy, significant ecological benefits and where farming continues, providing a model of how agriculture, clean energy and wildlife can thrive side-by-side. Two solar farms are proposed as part of one master plan to achieve this.
North Fossil farm, East Knighton, Dorchester is the first project and consists of a 40MW solar farm covering 47 hectares of land. Annually the renewable energy could power 14,000 homes and save 9,000 tonnes of CO2 according to developers Spring. The scheme is designed to deliver a number of ecological benefits.
The reduced intensity of farming brings benefit to local ecological reserves. Improvements to local hydrology and reduced cultivation reduce pressure and pollution within the River Frome catchment area. Native grass and wildflower mix will be sown around the panels to improve the biodiversity potential of the land, securing it as a haven for wildlife. Field boundaries will be allowed to grow to 15 metres in height to enhance landscape features and provide screening. The existing field boundaries, grassland and hedgerow habitats will be retained, protected and increased to create wildlife corridors through the site.
Farming will continue, with cattle and sheep grazing the land created in the wide buffers (45 m) between field boundaries and solar panels.
Storage
One of the key technologies for successful renewable energy conversion is the provision of battery storage to enable electricity to be fed back into the grid when renewable energy generation is low. Two local commercial developments of this technology are planned.
Holes Bay battery storage
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and Harmony Energy have joined forces to commission their first utility-scale battery system in the UK[1]. The project will include six Tesla Megapack lithium-ion batteries, with a total capacity of 15MWh. The Holes Bay energy storage project will be connected to the Southern Electric Power distribution network and will mark FRV’s first step into the storage market.
Hawkers Hill Energy Park
TagEnergy has started construction on a £16 million 20 MW/40 MWh battery storage facility at The Hawkers Hill Energy Park near Shaftesbury[2]. It uses a system of Tesla Megapack lithium-ion batteries together with Tesla’s Autobidder AI software for real-time trading and control. It is expected to be complete and connected to the grid by June 2022.
Further Information
Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
Dorset LEP commissioned Regen to produce two reports. The Decarbonising Dorset: Dorset Low Carbon Investment Opportunities[1] document builds on existing strategic documents relevant to decarbonisation in the county (including the Dorset Investment Prospectus and local authority plans). Underpinning this is a comprehensive Dorset Low Carbon Investment Opportunities Evidence Base which presents a range of opportunities for decarbonising Dorset to help the region deliver on net zero, jobs and green recovery.
[1] https://www.dorsetlep.co.uk/userfiles/files/Dorset Low Carbon Energy Opportunities Document.pdf
The Joint LEP Energy Strategy Framework[1]: Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Dorset and Heart of the South West lays out the vision for energy infrastructure in the south west with ‘an energy future that is low carbon and more affordable, maximising and retaining benefits in the region’. Dorset LEP is working with these LEPs to develop a Delivery Plan for the Strategy, across the South West region and within Dorset. This will also include working in partnership with Local Authorities to build on the Dorset’s Renewable Energy Strategy[1] and Low Carbon Dorset that is currently underway. Interestingly and encouraging is their inclusion of an offshore wind farm as part of this solution.
[1] https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/countryside-coast-parks/countryside-management/green-dorset/dorsets-renewable-energy-strategy.aspx
[1] https://www.dorsetlep.co.uk/userfiles/files/Strategy and plans/Clean Growth/HotSW%2C Dorset%2C CIoS Joint LEP Energy Strategy Framework.pdf
There are many opportunities to align the proposals in this report with those from the LEP noted above. The main area of contention is their target date of 2050, with our challenge of targeting 2030 likely to create a number of different approaches.
South West Energy Hub
To further support the local delivery of energy projects Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) allocated £1.1 million to set up a local energy hub that will cover the geography of the seven South West LEPs.
South West Energy Hub
To further support the local delivery of energy projects Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) allocated £1.1 million to set up a local energy hub that will cover the geography of the seven South West LEPs.
Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Renewable Energy Strategy
Extensive analysis and research were undertaken for the ‘Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Renewable Energy Strategy’ (and the associated ‘Unpacking the technologies’), produced in 2013. Together with reports from the Dorset Energy Partnership these provided a strong foundation on which future plans could be developed. They all warrant study for further background information not covered here.
UK Hydrogen Strategy
In summer 2021, the UK Government launched its Hydrogen Strategy[2] which sets out the plan to develop a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK. Working with industry, the ambition is for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. This could produce hydrogen equivalent to the amount of gas consumed by over 3 million households in the UK each year.
[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1011283/UK-Hydrogen-Strategy_web.pdf)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes Hydrogen as “a versatile energy carrier, which can help to tackle various critical energy challenges”. It is, however, quite energy intensive in its production with much of the hydrogen in use, according to the IEA, “mostly covered by hydrogen from fossil fuels, with significant associated CO2 emissions”. Green hydrogen, where splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyser, is fully powered by renewable energy, presents an exciting opportunity for a technology that has been around for some years, with the possibility of powering vehicles and other mechanical devices with a gas that produces zero emissions. This could be most effectively deployed where renewable capacity is greater than demand, using the excess supply on windy or sunny days, to power the production of hydrogen. However, much of the current production is grey (provided by fossil fuels) or blue (produced using natural gas with emissions captured and stored underground).
As Tom Baxter, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Aberdeen, pointed out in response to the proposals, that many reports have questioned how ‘green’ blue hydrogen really is “because… methane emissions throughout the supply chain, … (could) actually be 20% worse for the climate than simply burning natural gas for heat and power”. Baxter’s report highlights a number of areas where we need to be very careful about hydrogen being such a large part of the solution.
As indicated previously ZCB reports have already established, we can meet all our energy needs with known technologies, and no nuclear, as long as we reduce demand. We cannot afford to wait for the hydrogen economy to mature and any hydrogen that is produced from renewables should be used for transport and to decarbonise hard to abate industry sectors, such as steel and cement, rather than for heating buildings.
Sweden delivers world’s first fossil-free steel.
A great example of where hydrogen can be used came to fruition as this chapter was being completed. According to Reuters “Swedish green steel venture HYBRIT said on Wednesday (18th August 2021) that it had made the world’s first customer delivery of steel produced without using coal as it looks to revolutionize an industry that accounts for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions”.
Rather than using coking coal in its steel-making process, HYBRIT used fossil fuel–free electricity and hydrogen, with the steel produced destined for Volvo.
Rampion Offshore Windfarm
As an example of what could be achieved in Poole Bay, Rampion Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm off the south coast of England and will be providing energy for at least 25 years. It has become an integral part of the south coast community and a recognised landmark on the horizon.
It has an installed capacity of 400 megawatts (MW) and will generate almost 1,400 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of power each year. This is equivalent to the amount of electricity used annually by almost 350,000 British homes, or around half the homes in Sussex.
The wind farm is located in the English Channel between 13 and 20 km from the Sussex coast, and stretches from East Worthing in the west, to Brighton in the east. It covers an area of 72 sq km, which is just larger than the island of Guernsey.
Extensive analysis and research were undertaken for the ‘Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Renewable Energy Strategy’ (and the associated ‘Unpacking the technologies’), produced in 2013. Together with reports from the Dorset Energy Partnership these provided a strong foundation on which future plans could be developed. They all warrant study for further background information not covered here.
UK Hydrogen Strategy
In summer 2021, the UK Government launched its Hydrogen Strategy[2] which sets out the plan to develop a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK. Working with industry, the ambition is for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. This could produce hydrogen equivalent to the amount of gas consumed by over 3 million households in the UK each year.
[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1011283/UK-Hydrogen-Strategy_web.pdf)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) describes Hydrogen as “a versatile energy carrier, which can help to tackle various critical energy challenges”. It is, however, quite energy intensive in its production with much of the hydrogen in use, according to the IEA, “mostly covered by hydrogen from fossil fuels, with significant associated CO2 emissions”. Green hydrogen, where splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolyser, is fully powered by renewable energy, presents an exciting opportunity for a technology that has been around for some years, with the possibility of powering vehicles and other mechanical devices with a gas that produces zero emissions. This could be most effectively deployed where renewable capacity is greater than demand, using the excess supply on windy or sunny days, to power the production of hydrogen. However, much of the current production is grey (provided by fossil fuels) or blue (produced using natural gas with emissions captured and stored underground).
As Tom Baxter, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Aberdeen, pointed out in response to the proposals, that many reports have questioned how ‘green’ blue hydrogen really is “because… methane emissions throughout the supply chain, … (could) actually be 20% worse for the climate than simply burning natural gas for heat and power”. Baxter’s report highlights a number of areas where we need to be very careful about hydrogen being such a large part of the solution.
As indicated previously ZCB reports have already established, we can meet all our energy needs with known technologies, and no nuclear, as long as we reduce demand. We cannot afford to wait for the hydrogen economy to mature and any hydrogen that is produced from renewables should be used for transport and to decarbonise hard to abate industry sectors, such as steel and cement, rather than for heating buildings.
Sweden delivers world’s first fossil-free steel.
A great example of where hydrogen can be used came to fruition as this chapter was being completed. According to Reuters “Swedish green steel venture HYBRIT said on Wednesday (18th August 2021) that it had made the world’s first customer delivery of steel produced without using coal as it looks to revolutionize an industry that accounts for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions”.
Rather than using coking coal in its steel-making process, HYBRIT used fossil fuel–free electricity and hydrogen, with the steel produced destined for Volvo.
Rampion Offshore Windfarm
As an example of what could be achieved in Poole Bay, Rampion Offshore Wind Farm was the first offshore wind farm off the south coast of England and will be providing energy for at least 25 years. It has become an integral part of the south coast community and a recognised landmark on the horizon.
It has an installed capacity of 400 megawatts (MW) and will generate almost 1,400 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of power each year. This is equivalent to the amount of electricity used annually by almost 350,000 British homes, or around half the homes in Sussex.
The wind farm is located in the English Channel between 13 and 20 km from the Sussex coast, and stretches from East Worthing in the west, to Brighton in the east. It covers an area of 72 sq km, which is just larger than the island of Guernsey.
The wind farm is now fully operational and has created around 60 full-time permanent jobs. It is being operated and maintained from a purpose-built base at Newhaven Port, and from early in its construction began acting as a catalyst for the regeneration of the port area, again an indication of the potential benefits for Dorset’s ports of a local wind farm.
The aim of the Rampion Visitor Centre is to increase awareness and understanding of the wind farm itself, as well as to raise knowledge about offshore wind energy and global climate change. It houses exhibitions, videos, VR experience, and other interactive displays so that visitors can learn more about wind energy and discover the whole Rampion story since its inception over ten years ago.
In addition to the direct relationships it has with numerous groups and organisations near its Newhaven base and across the region, the organisation also has a defined £3.1 million Rampion Community Benefit Fund. The fund has been launched to support projects which benefit the Sussex community.
A nine-week public consultation on proposals for the expansion of Rampion Offshore Wind Farm[1], which could power over one million homes in the UK and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes per year, has started.
An ‘Area of Search’ eight miles off the Sussex coast has been assessed by renewable energy producer RWE for a maximum of up to 116 turbines, the same number as the existing Rampion Wind Farm but using the latest turbine technology, so that the Rampion 2 Wind Farm could create up to three times the amount of power. An underground cable route is proposed to carry the power under Climping Beach to Bolney Substation in Twineham, to connect to the National Grid via a new substation required close by.
ChangeNOW Resource Hub
ChangeNOW, held in Paris, claims to have been the “World’s Largest Event for the Planet” with more than 1,000 sustainability solutions and 500 speakers at their 2020 event. With subsequent activity being taken on-line there is now a wealth of information available to view on their website and virtual exhibition. Registration is required to participate but is available free of charge if only viewing material. The following video (available via https://event.changenow.world/en/session/4fefdd26-2fa8-eb11-94b3-501ac5921410) explores the opportunities hydrogen presents.
The aim of the Rampion Visitor Centre is to increase awareness and understanding of the wind farm itself, as well as to raise knowledge about offshore wind energy and global climate change. It houses exhibitions, videos, VR experience, and other interactive displays so that visitors can learn more about wind energy and discover the whole Rampion story since its inception over ten years ago.
In addition to the direct relationships it has with numerous groups and organisations near its Newhaven base and across the region, the organisation also has a defined £3.1 million Rampion Community Benefit Fund. The fund has been launched to support projects which benefit the Sussex community.
A nine-week public consultation on proposals for the expansion of Rampion Offshore Wind Farm[1], which could power over one million homes in the UK and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes per year, has started.
An ‘Area of Search’ eight miles off the Sussex coast has been assessed by renewable energy producer RWE for a maximum of up to 116 turbines, the same number as the existing Rampion Wind Farm but using the latest turbine technology, so that the Rampion 2 Wind Farm could create up to three times the amount of power. An underground cable route is proposed to carry the power under Climping Beach to Bolney Substation in Twineham, to connect to the National Grid via a new substation required close by.
ChangeNOW Resource Hub
ChangeNOW, held in Paris, claims to have been the “World’s Largest Event for the Planet” with more than 1,000 sustainability solutions and 500 speakers at their 2020 event. With subsequent activity being taken on-line there is now a wealth of information available to view on their website and virtual exhibition. Registration is required to participate but is available free of charge if only viewing material. The following video (available via https://event.changenow.world/en/session/4fefdd26-2fa8-eb11-94b3-501ac5921410) explores the opportunities hydrogen presents.