Can hydrogen pipelines offer a cheaper alternative to moving offshore wind power ashore? A new North Sea project aims to find out.
(P&GJ) — A Dutch consortium led by Hydrogen of Dutch Origin (H2DO) has launched a government-backed feasibility study for an offshore green hydrogen project in the North Sea that would transport hydrogen to shore via pipeline.
The project will evaluate a 30-50 MW offshore hydrogen production facility powered by North Sea wind generation. The concept calls for converting electricity from offshore wind farms into hydrogen at sea, reducing pressure on onshore power infrastructure and avoiding some of the transmission constraints affecting the Dutch electricity grid.
According to project partners, the study will develop a concept design suitable for front-end engineering and design (FEED) and assess technical, commercial, regulatory and permitting requirements. The consortium’s goal is to advance the project to a stage that could support development of a demonstration facility targeted for operation in 2031.
The study will also examine whether offshore hydrogen production and pipeline transportation can offer economic advantages over transmitting offshore wind power to shore through high-voltage direct current (HVDC) infrastructure and producing hydrogen on land.
Project participants include H2sea, Haskoning, TCI Risk Management and ECHT Regie in Transitie, with support from offshore fabrication and engineering companies involved in the hydrogen supply chain.
Patrice Hijsterborg, managing partner at H2DO, said the project is intended to evaluate whether offshore hydrogen production can support additional wind development while creating a scalable hydrogen transportation network in the North Sea region.
The study is being funded through the Netherlands’ Topsector Energie (TSE) program.
