NUI Galway joins research for Green Hysland hydrogen project in Mallorca

Researchers at NUI Galway are taking part in a green hydrogen research project in the Mediterranean which will help chart a path for the renewable energy enabler to be used in Ireland.

Green Hysland is a five-year project that will generate, distribute and use at least 300 tonnes of hydrogen per year produced from solar energy on the Balearic island of Mallorca. In the process, it will reduce CO₂ emissions by 20,000 tonnes per year.

The project will embed green hydrogen in the island’s whole energy system, from solar power generators which will produce the hydrogen to gas grid operators which will distribute it and to bus operators, vehicle rental firms, homes, businesses, and hotels using it for power, heat, and mobility.

NUI Galway researchers Dr. Pau Farràs Costa, Dr. Rory Monaghan, and Dr. Thomas van Rensburg, members of the Energy Research Centre at the University's Ryan Institute, will assess the economic impacts of the green hydrogen on Mallorca, as well as on other island communities involved in the project, including the Aran Islands.

Green Hysland - Deployment of a hydrogen ecosystem on the island of Mallorca is being supported with EUR10 million (US$12 million)of European Commission funding. The project will entail investments by partners of up to EUR50 million (US$60.4 million) in total.

The Green Hysland project will evaluate the socio-economic impact of green hydrogen on Mallorca by examining human capital, well-being, and energy security. It will seek to capture the economic value of low carbon tourism and identify skills and training programs that are required to further develop the island ecosystem and replicate it to other regions.