Achill and Corraun EMP and Hydrogen Feasibility Study

Oct 25, 2022

Energy Master Plan

The Todhchaí Phobail Acla SEC Energy Master Plan was funded and supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) as part of it’s Sustainable Energy Communties program

You can see our public presentation of the EMP in pdf form at this link

Advanced Hydrogen Production and Deployment Feasibility Study for Todhchaí Phobail Acla SEC

Executive Summary

There are feasible medium-term opportunities in the renewably produced hydrogen sphere that can be availed of by the community of Achill and Corraun. We set these out in a staged process whereby Todhchaí Phobail Acla Sustainable Energy Community (TPA SEC) with wider community support and participation can put itself forward as a meaningful demonstrator location for H2 projects. These projects with the right supports from local, industry and state partners will not only increase the environmental and socio-economic wellbeing of Achill and Corraun but will serve to make the area a model of best practice community participation in the transition to a net zero carbon society.

We identify three hydrogen deployment opportunities and two production opportunities based around the consumption and use of hydrogen in the first instance, and the large-scale production in the second.

These are, in summary:
● The conversion of the local bus service to a H2 powered Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
● The demonstration of the feasibility of using H2 a manufacturing process requiring high temperature heat
● The creation of a Fuel Cell Vehicle tourism product that will take advantage of the unique position of Achill and Corraun on the Wild Atlantic Way
● The initiation of a licensing and exploration permission process to create a large-scale, far offshore, floating wind turbine project to supply renewable electricity and hydrogen both for local use and export.

We present here the reasons for the selection of these opportunities as the most practical and realistic. We demonstrate their technical and economic feasibility and provide a staged roadmap with annual targets. We discuss partnership opportunities which may provide financial and other resources to help bring about these projects according to the schedule of actions in the roadmap.

In co-operation with TPA SEC through concerted dissemination and consultation actions, we will embark on a process to establish the level of support for these opportunities and assist TPA SEC in bringing them to reality.

Full PDF of report here