The developers behind plans for hydrogen-powered homes on the outskirts of Aberdeen have secured a commitment from Panasonic to trial the fuel cells.

H2 View first revealed the plans from Cognito Oak, which would be a first for the city of Aberdeen and Scotland if granted planning permission, back in July.

The Aberdeen Hydrogen First project proposes using hydrogen fuel cells to heat and power a proportion of the proposed 550 homes at Coverhill.

The pilot aims to test the performance of micro-CHP technology against the manufacturer’s claims that households could lower their CO2 emissions by up to 30%, lower their fuel consumption by up to 40% and save up to £378 per year.

Initially, 30 of the homes at the site would be fitted with fuel cells which transform the same natural gas that powers most homes into hydrogen that will then be used to generate electricity and heat.

If the benefits of the technology are proven, there is potential for it to be retrofitted in homes connected to the gas grid to reduce emissions of existing housing stock.

Hydrogen power is a fast-growing sustainable alternative to traditional power sources and is being implemented in developments across the globe including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village.

A report by the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce shows that the pilot would support the Energetica Corridor – an area spanning from Aberdeen to Peterhead which aims to grow the region’s position in the international energy sector – in its ambitions to attract investment to the area by innovators like Panasonic.

The hydrogen project represents a £500,000 investment from Cognito Oak, a partnership between HBD and Wraith Real Estate.

Nigel Munro, of HBD, said, “Our vision at Cloverhill is to create an attractive, inclusive and sustainable new community that will be low carbon.”

“This hydrogen project would offer residents a unique opportunity to try a new way of powering their homes that would save money and reduce their carbon footprint.”

“Aberdeen has become a trailblazer in hydrogen and this pilot would make the city a national first in the race against climate change.”

“With the government’s ambitious emission reduction targets and an increasing appetite amongst consumers for sustainable alternative source of power, the scheme could pave the way for both future developments and existing homes across Scotland to switch to hydrogen energy.”