North East
Let there be light – it’s a fuel cells world first!
A North East business has scored a real world first by designing a fuel cell to power a lighthouse.
The historic South Gare lighthouse at the mouth of the River Tees leads to one of the busiest ports in the UK and is an exposed and hostile location for a fuel cell.
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), based at Wilton on Teesside, has worked with its partners to design and test the fuel cell to withstand the rigours of use in a lighthouse.
CPI has worked in collaboration with PD Ports, which runs Teesport, marine engineering company Pelangi – who maintain the lighthouse and its systems – Schunk, who manufacture the fuel cell stack, and Air Products - the world’s No. 1 producer of hydrogen and a market leader in hydrogen energy applications.
This ground-breaking project is another demonstration that fuel cell technology is developing at a rapid pace and will soon be ready for wider use. It is especially suited to remote applications and locations.
The South Gare site is regularly lashed by high winds and rough seas but the lighthouse, built in 1884, plays a pivotal role in the success of Teesport – one of the UK’s three busiest ports with 6,000 ship arrivals each year and handling 50 million tonnes of cargo.
The hydrogen fuel cell has been powering the South Gare light, which can be seen from 25 miles out to sea, for several months now and is housed in a cabinet attached to the lighthouse.
Nigel Perry, CPI’s chief executive, said: “The use of the fuel cell at South Gare is a big step forward as we have had to develop a special unit to withstand this demanding location. Fuel cells have the potential to be an important component of our future energy supply along with the likes of tidal/wave, wind and solar powers, nuclear and some fossil fuel, though we know these have a finite lifespan.
“Due to the fact that fossil fuels are limited and will run out at some point, and because of their possible contribution to climate change, we must work hard to find other viable energy solutions – from renewable sources as much as possible. We have proved at South Gare that fuel cells can operate in critical applications.
Andrew Ridley, conservancy operations manager, for PD Ports, said: “Over a number of years PD Ports has championed the use of renewable energy sources to power its aids for navigation. These aids include solar, wind and wave power, and have been primarily used to operate our navigation buoys, which are subject to the unpredictable forces of the North Sea.
“The implementation of a hydrogen fuel cell to power the South Gare Light House demonstrates how such new and innovative energy sources can be used to power critical safety aids in a hostile environment whilst delivering both environmental and economic benefits.
Mark Pearson, energy and process innovation manager at One NorthEast, said: "The successful development of this fuel cell is excellent. It's a world first and the knock-on effect for the energy sector as a whole could be massive. The fact it's been developed right here in the North East, at the hugely successful CPI at Wilton, backs up our claim that the North East is the energy innovation capital of the UK.
Bert Frame, managing director of Pelangi International Limited, said: “We have automated South Gare for PD Ports using the original lens with modern light emitters, enabling the lighthouse to be powered from lower energy sources. The installation of remote monitoring in the lighthouse, hydrogen fuel cell and fog signalling system has ensured the continued safety of shipping at all times. The combination of new technologies with traditional systems shows what can be achieved and we are delighted to be playing a part in that.
“Air Products has extensive experience of hydrogen fuel cell projects fuelling vehicles, submarines, as well as providing power support in remote locations, such as the South Gare Lighthouse. Hydrogen offers tremendous potential in tough environments such as these, and we are very proud to have been involved in this hugely innovative project,” said Ian Williamson, business development manager, Hydrogen Energy Systems at Air Products.
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