Utsira - demonstrating the renewable hydrogen society

The Norwegian energy company Hydro together with the German wind turbine manufacturer Enercon, and with financial support from the Norwegian government, has built the world’s first wind/hydrogen plant in the municipality of Utsira, Norway. The plant produce hydrogen through an electrolyser when there is excess wind energy available, and then provide electricity to domestic customers via a fuel cell and a hydrogen combustion engine when the wind turbine slows or stops. Utsira is the first large-scale demonstration of a Stand-Alone renewable energy system where the energy balance is provided by stored hydrogen. Utsira has been in operation since winter 2004/2005, and the paper presents results and experience from this first year in operation. Focus will, besides on operational results, be on key lessons learned from planning, building, and operation of the plant.