Power-to-X in practice: A Northern Ireland Pilot Plant for grid stability and green fuels

Northern Ireland’s energy system is entering a decisive period. Renewable electricity generation, particularly wind, is increasingly constrained by network capacity, system stability requirements, and curtailment. As renewable penetration rises, flexible demand solutions capable of absorbing surplus generation are becoming as critical as new supply.

Power-to-X in practice: A Northern Ireland Pilot Plant for grid stability and green fuels

Northern Ireland’s energy system is entering a decisive period. Renewable electricity generation, particularly wind, is increasingly constrained by network capacity, system stability requirements, and curtailment. As renewable penetration rises, flexible demand solutions capable of absorbing surplus generation are becoming as critical as new supply.

Against this backdrop, B9 Energy is defining a Power-to-X Pilot Plant, supported by funding from Invest NI, to demonstrate how renewable electricity can be converted into low-carbon fuels while providing tangible value to the electricity system.

Power-to-X as a Grid Asset

The primary function of the pilot plant is to act as a controllable electrical load, supporting grid stability and reducing renewable curtailment. Power-to-X enables surplus electricity, often generated during periods of low demand or network constraint, to be captured and converted into storable energy carriers rather than being wasted.

To maximise this system benefit, B9 Energy is exploring strategic sites located close to proposed cluster substations identified by SONI and NIE Networks. Co-locating Power-to-X infrastructure near these areas offers a scalable approach to supporting renewable integration while helping to defer or reduce the need for traditional network reinforcement.

From Maritime Feasibility to Production Reality

The pilot project builds directly on B9 Energy’s earlier Maritime Power-to-X: Northern Ireland / Great Britain Green Shipping Corridor feasibility. That work examined the large-scale production of green hydrogen in Northern Ireland, conversion to green methanol, and use across Irish Sea shipping routes, incorporating B9 Energy’s patent pending Carbon Loop for recycling captured CO2 back into fuel synthesis. (See Energy Ireland Yearbook 2025 pages 204 and 205).

While the maritime programme focused on a fully holistic approach, the new pilot shifts attention upstream, toward production, operability, grid interaction and scale up readiness, bridging the gap between feasibility studies and investable infrastructure.

Pilot scope and scale

The Power-to-X Pilot Plant currently under definition is sized at approximately 20 MW electrical input, representing a meaningful step between small scale demonstrators and future large-scale assets.

The pilot will integrate:

• Green hydrogen production via electrolysis, powered by low carbon and curtailed renewable electricity
• Methanol synthesis, combining green hydrogen with recycled or biogenic CO2
• Flexible, dispatchable operation, responding to grid conditions and system constraints

Crucially, the project is designed to demonstrate whole-system performance, including control strategies, availability, and real-world integration with the electricity network.

Supplying multiple offtakers

Rather than targeting a single end market, the pilot plant is structured to support a diverse range of potential offtakers, strengthening both commercial resilience and system relevance. These include:

• Marine and ports, where methanol is emerging as a leading low-carbon fuel
• Quarries and heavy industry, seeking alternatives to diesel and HVO
• Data centres and critical infrastructure, requiring resilient low-carbon power solutions
• Emerging fuels such as DME, using methanol as an intermediate feedstock

This multi-sector approach positions green methanol as both an energy storage vector and a decarbonisation pathway for hard-to-electrify applications.

A pathway to commercial scale

Alongside the pilot definition work, B9 Energy is preparing for the anticipated launch of the UK Hydrogen Allocation Round 3 (HAR3), with the ambition of becoming Northern Ireland’s first successful applicant under the scheme.

The Power-to-X Pilot Plant is therefore conceived not as a standalone demonstration, but as a stepping stone to large scale deployment, supporting grid stability, renewable integration, and the production of green fuels at scale.

Stakeholder engagement

The B9 project team is keen to discuss potential technical and commercial arrangements with key stakeholders such as Power Purchase Agreements and Offtake Agreements for power, heat, hydrogen and e-methanol. If this is of interest, please contact:

David Surplus

Managing Director

B9 Energy Storage Ltd
5 Willowbank Road
Millbrook Industrial Estate
Larne
Co Antrim
Northern Ireland
BT40 2SF

www.b9energy.co.uk
business@b9energy.co.uk