OMG-H2: offshore green hydrogen production in the North Sea using offshore wind

H2DO is convinced that offshore hydrogen production can be highly competitive compared with onshore green hydrogen production as part of an integrated energy system. The main advantages of producing hydrogen at sea, close to the source, are independence from the onshore electricity grid and the avoided costs associated with constructing expensive and time-consuming HVDC systems from offshore locations to shore. This independence enables faster deployment of offshore wind farms and creates stable local electricity demand, independent of fluctuating electricity demand on land, thereby preventing curtailment. This improves the business case for offshore wind, particularly if offshore wind farms may in future have to pay for feeding electricity into the grid.

OMG-H2: objectives and activities

The project identifies the technical, economic, commercial and regulatory preconditions required to realise a 30–50 MW offshore green hydrogen installation in the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind area. A central objective is the development of a robust concept design covering the full system: connection to an offshore wind farm and/or through a connection to TenneT, electrolysis on a platform, export of green hydrogen to shore and delivery to end users. The design will be optimised as far as possible on the basis of existing technology components and developed to a level that enables direct progression to the FEED phase (Front-End Engineering Design).

In addition, the project focuses on economic feasibility and investigates further elements required for future decision-making. These include permitting options for an offshore green hydrogen development, alignment with current and future requirements relating to circularity, reuse and resilience, the conditions required to achieve RFNBO certification, the tradability of the produced green hydrogen and possible commercial structuring options. Offshore green hydrogen production in the North Sea can contribute to reducing grid congestion and curtailment. In doing so, it supports the further rollout of offshore wind and contributes to Dutch and European ambitions for sustainability and increased energy self-sufficiency in both electrons and molecules, as also envisaged in the Hamburg Declaration of the nine North Sea countries, including the Netherlands. In addition, offshore hydrogen production does not place additional pressure on increasingly scarce freshwater resources, as desalinated seawater can be used for production.