Protium, a leading UK green hydrogen business, is launching its second operational facility in South Wales this month, has acquired the 15-MW Cromarty Hydrogen Project – Scotland’s most advanced clean energy project – from Storegga and is further expanding its production across the UK. The move brings a proven model for energy security, industrial decarbonization and green-collar jobs to the Highlands.

While much of the UK green hydrogen sector remains in the planning phase, Protium has spent the last three years building, commissioning and commercially operating hydrogen facilities. That track record, culminating in the imminent ribbon-cutting of its 2.5-MW Pioneer 2 facility in South Wales on 30 June 2026, is a blueprint of what it is now being planned for to Scotland, at scale.

This acquisition represents a defining moment for UK energy security and the domestic hydrogen economy. By transitioning the project to Protium, an organization with a proven “boots on the ground” operational record, Cromarty evolves from a development concept into a live project with a clear, already demonstrated blueprint.

• South Coast Hydrogen Facility (Dorset): Operated in partnership with Canford Renewable Energy (CRE), adding more than 350 kg of green hydrogen production per day (over 120 tpy) to Protium’s network.
• Pioneer 1: Operational since 2023 and has delivered 4,000-kg commercially to date.
• Pioneer 2: Opening on the 30th June 2026. At 2.5-MW capacity, 25 x the scale of Pioneer 1 and abates 3,600 tpy of CO₂, the equivalent of removing 2,200 cars from the UK’s roads every year

Pioneer 2 is not a steppingstone. It is a proven template – designed, financed, and constructed using a 100% green hydrogen-powered plant, that Protium is preparing to replicate and scale in the Scottish Highlands. Cromarty, at 15 MW, represents the next logical step in a progression already well underway.

“Protium’s delivery of Pioneer 1 and now Pioneer 2, demonstrates clearly to the market that green hydrogen is moving past PowerPoints and into delivery. With the final commissioning of Pioneer 2 Protium has become one of the only companies in the world to develop, self EPC and operate multiple green hydrogen plants. This provides a uniquely credible capability base for taking projects such as Cromarty HAR1 and taking them from concept to commercial operations – and in doing so, unlocking the full potential of the green hydrogen economy,” said Christopher Jackson, CEO of Protium.

Protium operates as a full-service entity, managing the entire value chain from production to its own transport fleet. In the Scottish Highlands, this means Highland renewable wealth empowers local distilleries and logistics directly, rather than being diverted to external markets. Protium’s commitments to the Cromarty community include:

• Approximately 30 permanent, high-skilled ‘green-collar’ roles, supported by funded local vocational training and apprenticeships offering long-term career pathways within the Highlands.
• High-efficiency production technology designed so that hydrogen output does not compete with local domestic or agricultural water supply, even during peak summer months.
• An integrated transport fleet operating in partnership with experienced local haulers, under strict safety protocols and optimized routing to minimize traffic impact.
• A ‘smart demand-side’ approach to grid use, absorbing excess renewable generation during peaks and supporting grid stability – enhancing Highland grid resilience and avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades.
• Full transparency onsite outputs, including low-decibel operations and a rigorous waste management strategy protecting the local environment.

Protium is currently in the initial stages of providing supplementary information to the Highland Council to support the planning application, and is establishing a dialogue with local Community Councils, with community engagement sessions to be scheduled in the coming months.