It was announced today (June 20), the project which hopes to provide enough hydrogen to power 1,000 heavy-duty a year has brought US engineering company, Black & Veatch, on board to advance its development.

Mercury Renewables’ €200m ($210.8m) plan to construct a 75MW onshore wind farm in Firlough, Ireland to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis were unveiled last December 2021.

H2 View understands Black & Veatch have been involved in feasibility studies for the project and will look to develop a design for the facility, which they say will be ‘sympathetic’ to the local surroundings.

Tim Bills-Everett, Director of Mercury Renewables, said, “The abundance of renewable energy potential in Ireland means green hydrogen should play a significant role in regional and national cross-sector decarbonisation. Projects like Firlough put Mercury at the vanguard of delivering Ireland’s hydrogen economy,”

“Our business model is to combine local knowledge with international best practice in renewable energy development. For Firlough we also need proven hydrogen expertise. With a deep track record in both, Black & Veatch is our partner of choice.”

Hydrogen Mobility Ireland released its roadmap to aid the deployment of hydrogen-powered vehicles in the country in 2019, contributing to climate targets.

Read more: Hydrogen Mobility Ireland releases roadmap

Youssef Merjaneh, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director for Europe, Middle East & Africa for Black & Veatch, commented, “Hydrogen project developers and investors need confidence in the quality of the advice they receive.

“The most complete analysis will come from partners with expertise in hydrogen, renewable energy generation, and the complex interfaces between them that define projects like Firlough.”