Hydrogen Production: Industry pilot is green for go

A unique pilot project is set to demonstrate how green hydrogen could be produced within a genuinely integrated offshore system – and in the process accelerate the energy transition.   

The Challenge

Harnessing the power of hydrogen to help meet the climate targets of the Paris Agreement.

There is a growing international consensus that hydrogen will be required at scale to enable individual countries to meet emissions-related objectives.

The Response

The principles behind the project include:

·        installing a hydrogen production plant on the platform to convert sea water into demineralised water – then into green hydrogen via electrolysis

·        using electricity generated by offshore wind to power the production facility

·        blending the green hydrogen into the existing gas export line from the asset.

The project is an initiative of Nexstep, the Dutch association for decommissioning and reuse, TNO, the Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research and the industry. Consortium members in PosHYdon also now include energy infrastructure company Gasunie, gas transport pipeline owners NOGAT BV and Noordgastransport BV, and DEME Offshore.

Sustainable energy expert Eneco will supply simulated data from its nearby offshore wind farm to model the use of generated electricity.

The Goal

The pilot project is seen as a key step towards a low-carbon future, delivering insights into the integration of energy systems at sea and the production of hydrogen in an offshore environment.

It could pave the way for the installation of hydrogen production facilities on other platforms near offshore windfarms.

‘The goal is to obtain valuable lessons for successfully integrating offshore energy systems to support the acceleration of the energy transition… the ability to convert energy from windfarms to hydrogen, then transport it via the existing gas infrastructure offers major advantages, particularly for those windfarms located much further offshore.’
Lex de Groot, Netherlands Managing Director, Neptune Energy

Find out more here.

Contact: Patrice Hijsterborg, Patrice.hijsterborg@neptuneenergy.com

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