Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a key element in the global effort to decarbonize energy sources due to its ability to produce zero greenhouse gas emissions when burned. However, the transition to a renewable hydrogen economy faces significant challenges.
Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis of water using renewable energy, currently accounts for only about 1% of global production and is three times more expensive than grey hydrogen, produced from fossil fuels.
One promising approach to scaling up green hydrogen production is offshore wind-to-hydrogen technology. This involves high-capacity floating wind turbines connected to electrolysers that use seawater for electrolysis. The challenge is converting the energy generated at sea and bringing it ashore, which can be complex and costly. However, some companies, like Lhyfe, propose replacing expensive electric substations and cables with hydrogen production plants that convert electricity into hydrogen. This hydrogen can then be transported through existing pipelines in the North Sea.
Lhyfe, founded in 2017, has become a hydrogen producer with a unique mission. For every kilogram of hydrogen produced, they release eight kilograms of oxygen as a by-product, which they intend to pump back into the ocean to help restore marine ecosystems disrupted by climate change.
Lhyfe’s Sealhyfe project, located off the coast of France, is the world’s first offshore renewable hydrogen production pilot site, producing half a tonne of green hydrogen per day. This project is connected to the SEM-REV powerhub, which offers valuable lessons for future offshore hydrogen projects.
Another significant project is HOPE, coordinated by Lhyfe and partners, aiming to produce four tonnes of green hydrogen per day off the coast of Belgium by 2026, with a goal of reaching 100MW capacity by 2030.
Europe is making substantial investments in offshore hydrogen production, with projects like H2Mare led by Siemens Energy, and Germany’s plans for up to 1GW of green hydrogen production in the North Sea. There is also an industry push for even more ambitious targets, with BP, Siemens Gamesa, RWE, and Lhyfe urging the German government to add a target of 10GW of offshore hydrogen production by 2035.
The European Commission has set targets to produce 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030, with the aim of hydrogen making up 14% of its energy mix by 2050. This commitment includes mobilizing significant funding through the InvestEU program by 2027 to support the growth of the hydrogen industry in Europe.
In conclusion, green hydrogen, produced through offshore wind-to-hydrogen technology, holds promise for decarbonizing energy sources, and Europe is making substantial investments and setting ambitious targets to support its growth in the coming decades.
https://thenextweb.com/news/offshore-wind-to-hydrogen-europe-clean-energy-demand