Hydrogen in Faroe Islands – Current Situation

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Exploring new paths towards a

sustainable and flexible energy system

 

In the Faroe Islands, there is great potential for using renewable energy. Thus, we are looking for ways of transforming the current energy system to renewable sources.
Back in 2014, the government presented a coalition document pointing out the direction for the energy policy in the Faroe Islands. The document highlighted two targets to be reached before 2030; one is to invest in renewable energy production to ensure that 100% of the produced electricity is based on renewable energy by 2030; the other target is that a minimum of 50% of the buildings should be heated from renewable energy sources by 2025.
Looking at the current situation in the Faroe Islands, it is obvious that energy from fossil fuel-based sources remains the main supplier in the energy sector. Thus, there is still a long way before the targets are realized.

 

 

The energy flow at the Faroe Islands indicates that most of the energy is based on oil (the red and orange arrows) primarily used for vessels, heating, transport, industry, and electricity. 

 

 

A transition away from oil requires a flexible energy system, where renewable energy sources are used in the best possible ways. In the Faroe Islands, the potentials using hydro, wind, and tidal power are vast, and the expansion of renewable energy production is already going on – currently, the production of electrical power from renewable sources exceeds 50%. 
Energy Flow – Faroe Islands, 2019
3629 GWh
To realize the 100% target for the electrical power and 50% for the heating sector, one important step is to find ways of handling periods with a shortage or excess of energy in the system. Thus, we are looking into a range of possible solutions where hydrogen has the potential to be a part of the solution.
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As hydrogen can be produced from electrical power and stored, there are great potentials using it to cope with overproduction in the grid by using the overproduction of energy to produce hydrogen.

 

 

Subsequently, the hydrogen can be utilized e.g. in periods where the production of electricity from hydro, wind, and tidal power is to low or it can be used in the transport sector (road and marine). The potentials using hydrogen as a driver in the green transition of the energy system in the Faroe Islands are promising and will be explored further through the EU funded ‘HUGE’ project.