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H2opZee aims at 300-500MW ofshore electrolyser capacity
Neptune Energy and RWE recently announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement to develop the ofshore green hydrogen project H2opZee ahead of 2030.
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF NEPTUNE ENERGY.
H2opZee (‘H2atSea’) is a demonstration project which aims to build 300-500MW electrolyser capacity in the North Sea to produce green hydrogen using ofshore wind. The hydrogen will then be transported to land through an existing pipeline.
Two phases
The pipeline has a capacity of 10-12GW, so it is already suitable for the further roll-out of green hydrogen production to gigawatt scale in the North Sea. The intention is to begin the feasibility study in the second quarter of 2022. The project is initiated by TKI Wind op Zee, an initiative supported by the Dutch government bringing people, knowledge, and fnancing together to support the ofshore energy transition. H2opZee consists of two phases. In the frst phase, a feasibility study will be carried out and an accessible knowledge platform will be set up. The objective is to start the rollout of hydrogen at sea in the Netherlands. In the second phase, the project will be implemented. For this phase, a tender methodology has yet to be defned.
World leader
Neptune Energy’s Managing Director in the Netherlands, Lex de Groot, says, “We see an important role for green hydrogen in future energy supply, and it can be produced here in the North Sea. The energy transition can be faster, cheaper, and cleaner if we integrate existing gas infrastructure into new systems. This infrastructure is technically suitable, no new pipeline at sea is needed and no new landfall is required through the coastal area. With the PosHYdon pilot we are one of the leaders in this feld of ofshore energy system integration and
reuse. The lessons learned from this project apply to H2opZee. The faster we can scale up green hydrogen at sea, the faster industries such as chemicals and steel production can become more sustainable. With H2opZee, the Netherlands is becoming a world leader in this area. That is why we, together with RWE, are enthusiastic about H2opZee and what it has to ofer the Netherlands.”
PosHYdon
PosHYdon concerns a green hydrogenproducing plant to be installed on Neptune Energy’s Q13a-A platform. The plant will convert seawater into demineralised water, then into green hydrogen via electrolysis, which will be blended with natural gas and transported to shore via an existing pipeline. The Q13a-A platform was the frst fully electrifed platform in the Dutch North Sea and is located approximately 13km of the coast of Scheveningen (The
Hague). Its location and existing connections to transportation infrastructure make it an ideal host for the PosHYdon pilot.
Track record
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Ofshore Wind at RWE Renewables, adds, “Hydrogen is a gamechanger in the decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors and H2opZee is a world frst of this kind and scale. With Neptune Energy at our side, we want to develop the H2opZee project to demonstrate how ofshore wind can be an ideal partner for the production of green hydrogen at scale and to explore the best way in terms of system integration. As RWE, we have a 20-year track record in ofshore wind and have the hydrogen expertise along the entire value chain under one roof. We are convinced that learnings from the H2opZee demonstration project will help in ramping-up the hydrogen economy in the Netherlands as it presents an important step towards the roll-out of green hydrogen production ofshore at large scale.”
Growth Fund
The knowledge and expertise gained from the H2opZee project will strengthen the competitive position of the Dutch industry, help to establish the value chain of ofshore wind and green hydrogen production in the Netherlands, and deliver technology and knowledge that can be exported worldwide. H2opZee is one of the 37 proposals for the second round of the National Growth Fund. Consortium partners RWE and Neptune Energy have worked together on the initiative from the very beginning. While the core consortium of H2opZee has been kept small and decisive, knowledge will be shared with the industry and almost 40 relevant organisations have already announced their support.
i. neptuneenergy.com
