On the island of Ireland, the production and use of hydrogen is still relatively modest when compared to the rest of Europe.
Supply
Commercially available hydrogen is either imported from the UK and/or Europe or produced via the only commercial H2 electrolyser production facility on the island in Dublin.
A new, renewable hydrogen electrolyser production facility is planned as part of the GENCOMM project.
Demand
The demand for hydrogen on the island is very different from that of the rest of the world. It does not have a widescale petrochemical sector and manufacturing industry is limited – both big users of hydrogen. Even so the largest hydrogen demand in Ireland still comes from this area – Whitegate refinery in County Cork, which produces fuels for heating and transportation. The hydrogen used here comes from cleaning gas streams originating in the refining process.
The electronics and pharmaceutical sectors are the largest commercial using sectors today. Initial energy applications are currently being developed. These primarily centre on mobility applications.
