A WALLYFORD-BASED company has secured £5 million of investment to develop its work in the emerging hydrogen power sector and expand globally.
Logan Energy, described as “one of Britain’s leading green energy integrators”, received more than 50 per cent of the figure from green energy investment company Lanxing New Energy, based in Singapore.
The balance of the investment was made by Scottish Enterprise.
The funds will enable Logan Energy to develop its technology base and facilities, grow its workforce within the hydrogen sector and expand internationally.
The company has manufacturing facilities at Wallyford Industrial Estate – traditionally its headquarters – where the majority of its staff are based.
It now also has “development facilities” at the Hydrogen Works building at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
Bill Ireland, chief executive of Logan Energy, said: “We have been working in the hydrogen sector for decades and see the energy market focusing on how hydrogen fits within the increasingly complex energy mix.
“Over the years, we have delivered to meet the changing demand and developed bespoke solutions which have now become our standard offering.
“This investment allows Logan Energy to move forward with our mission to secure our position as an industry leader providing integrated hydrogen energy systems and energy transition solutions across all market sectors.
“It will also allow us to address the supply chain issues the industry is facing by developing key relationships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and equipment developers around the globe, and ramp up our ground-breaking research and development (R&D) capabilities here in the UK using our unique know-how around hydrogen systems.
“Lanxing New Energy shares our ambition around the massive potential for the integration of hydrogen energy systems, and the investment from Scottish Enterprise will help develop our vital R&D function and allow us to build a skilled, well-rewarded and long-term workforce in the hydrogen economy.”
Dr Yuxuan Zhang, Lanxing New Energy chief executive, added: “We’ve been impressed with the Logan Energy team and the progress they are making in the UK and European market.
“We are clear that energy systems involving hydrogen have a vital part to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy across the world.
“For us, it has been about finding the best partner to understand the complexities of integrated energy systems and develop advanced hydrogen technologies.
“We believe Logan Energy to be best in class.
“Over the coming months, we aim to announce several new capabilities for the hydrogen market as we further develop Logan’s strategic plan.”
Adrian Gillespie, Scottish Enterprise chief executive, added: “Logan Energy is pushing to the forefront of the hydrogen sector with its unparalleled whole-system expertise, products and services.
“With hydrogen one of the transformational opportunities Scottish Enterprise is targeting as part of our future focus, Logan is a perfect fit for us to partner with in this investment.”
Logan Energy has been working with a range of clients on a variety of projects in Europe and eastern Asia.
In Scotland, the company is installing a hydrogen electrolyser at Arbikie Distillery, near Montrose, which will enable the distillery to power its operations partly from environmentally sustainable green hydrogen – that is, hydrogen created using renewable electricity from a wind turbine and local water sources.
Ian Marchant, Logan Energy chairman, said: “Hydrogen has a key part to play in the energy transition in Scotland, the UK and globally.
“Logan is well positioned to help companies and organisations develop, build and operate all forms of hydrogen projects and this funding will allow further growth, involvement in larger projects and the development of the skill base needed.”
Both the UK and Scottish Governments have declared ambitious targets for hydrogen production.
In Scotland, the Government is making available £100 million in capital funding for renewable hydrogen projects.
The first tranche of the hydrogen investment programme, the £10m Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, opened in June 2022.
Announcing the plans, Michael Matheson, then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, described the hydrogen economy as “Scotland’s greatest industrial opportunity since oil and gas was discovered in the North Sea”.
The UK Government aims to deliver up to 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half of this from electrolytic hydrogen (hydrogen gas produced through the process of electrolysis). It also aims to have up to 1GW of electrolytic hydrogen and up to 1GW of CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) enabled hydrogen in operation or construction by next year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here