Hyoffwind, a Belgian consortium, has agreed to design and build a green hydrogen production unit in Zeebrugge with John Cockerill and BESIX.
This agreement marks a new milestone for Hyoffwind, which is leading the way in the development of hydrogen technology in accordance with the Flemish, Belgian, and European hydrogen strategies.
A consortium representing the entire energy value chain is working on the Hyoffwind project. The consortium, which includes Virya Energy (renewable energy generation and sale) and Fluxys (green molecule transmission), aims to build a power-to-gas facility that can convert renewable electricity into green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is an important component of a renewable energy economy because it can be used as a raw material in industrial processes and in a wide range of mobility applications. Hyoffwind will also contribute to the energy system’s flexibility and balance by providing an effective solution for the increased variability brought on by renewable electricity generation.
Fluxys and Virya Energy partnered in 2018 to help ensure the energy landscape in Belgium and Europe is sustainable. The planned project’s first phase will include a facility that can convert 25 megawatts of electricity into green hydrogen, but the partners hope to scale it up to 100 megawatts in the second phase.
Following the completion of the feasibility study, which was funded by the Federal Energy Transition Fund, a multi-party tender process was launched. The consortium has taken the next major step by selecting John Cockerill and BESIX as technology partners as well as design and construction partners for the facility. The consortium expects to receive a permit by mid-2022 after starting the permit application process in late 2021. The final investment decision, which is also contingent on the Flemish government providing subsidies under the recovery plan, will be made in the second half of 2022.
Since 2020, Hilde Crevits, the Flemish Minister for Economy and Innovation, has backed the project because it fits in perfectly with the Flemish hydrogen strategy. Hyoffwind was awarded €8 million in strategic ecological aid by the Flemish government in 2020. Minister Crevits will also contribute another €23 million to the Flemish recovery plan through the European call for IPCEIs, which is currently awaiting approval from the European Commission.
By taking a first step toward the development of Flanders and Belgium as a European green hydrogen hub, this groundbreaking project, combined with the development of hydrogen infrastructure, will make a significant contribution to the Flemish, Belgian, and European hydrogen strategies.
