OCEAN-H2 – Offshore clean hydrogen production for multiple uses
The project Ocean-H2, Offshore Clean Hydrogen Production for Multi-use Purposes, has been launched under the SBEP program, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, which aims to assess the long-term feasibility of large-scale sustainable production of green hydrogen by harnessing offshore renewable energy (ORE), with the goal of contributing to the decarbonization of various sectors and the achievement of a clean energy future.
Coordinated by the Department of Electrical Engineering of the University of Malta, the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II is also participating in the project, along with the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Fraunhofer ISIT (Germany) and CNRS FEMTO-ST (France).
The project pathway is aimed, first and foremost, at identifying the most effective technical solution for large-scale production of green hydrogen in the seas of the European Union. To this end, the project will focus on three sea basins – Mediterranean Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea – as case studies for the implementation of offshore microgrids powered by medium-voltage direct current (MVDC), evaluating configurations, performance and scalability. The second objective of the project is the optimal integration of offshore facilities with existing EU power grids. The partners intend to develop connection models that take into account the specific infrastructure and renewable resources available in each basin, fostering synergy between decentralized generation and continental distribution.
The Frederican Department of Social Sciences, a partner in the project (scientific lead Ivano Scotti, coordination Rosanna De Rosa), is called upon to play a social research and science communication role together , to ensure the project is fully compliant with the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation and to offer clear guidance on Societal Readiness in the selected marine communities.
Finally, the project aims to outline realistic cost scenarios, identifying efficiency levers and investment opportunities in the three selected marine settings, addressing the social dimension and potential conflicts of interest related to system acceptability. The partners are thus committed to exploring socio-technical approaches to managing disputes, stakeholder engagement and participatory consensus building around proposed solutions.
The project is co-funded by the MUR.
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