RWE and Neptune Energy signed a Joint Development Agreement to develop the offshore green hydrogen demonstration project “H2opZee” before 2030.
H2opZee is a demonstration project aimed at constructing a 300 to 500 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer capacity far out in the Dutch North Sea to produce green hydrogen using offshore wind. After that, the hydrogen will be transported to land via an existing pipeline. With a capacity of 10 to 12 gigawatts (GW), the pipeline is already capable of bringing green hydrogen production to gigawatt scale in the North Sea. The feasibility study is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022. TKI Wind op Zee is a project of TKI Wind op Zee, a Dutch government-backed initiative that brings people, knowledge, and funding together to realize the offshore energy transition.
H2opZee is divided into two parts: A feasibility study will be conducted in the first phase, and an accessible knowledge platform will be established. The goal is to begin the deployment of hydrogen at sea in the Netherlands. The project will be put into action in the second phase. A tender methodology has yet to be defined for that phase.
Sven Utermöhlen, CEO Offshore Wind, RWE Renewables: “Hydrogen is a gamechanger in the decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors, and H2opZee is among the world’s first projects of this kind and scale. With Neptune Energy at our side, we want to develop the H2opZee project to demonstrate how offshore wind can be an ideal partner for the production of green hydrogen at scale, and to explore the best approaches to system integration. As RWE, we have a 20 years’ track record in offshore wind and have the hydrogen expertise along the entire value chain under one roof. We are convinced that learnings from the H2opZee demonstration project will help in ramping-up the hydrogen economy in the Netherlands, as it presents an important step towards the roll-out of large-scale green hydrogen production offshore.”
Lex de Groot, Managing Director of Neptune Energy in the Netherlands: “We see an important role for green hydrogen in the future energy supply. It can be produced in our own North Sea. The energy transition can be faster, cheaper and cleaner if we integrate existing gas infrastructure into new systems. This infrastructure is technically suitable. As a result, for example, no new pipeline at sea is needed and no new landfall needs to be made through the coastal area. With the PosHYdon pilot we are one of the leaders in this field of offshore energy system integration and reuse. The lessons learned from this project apply to H2opZee. The faster we can scale up green hydrogen at sea, the faster industry such as chemicals and steel production can become more sustainable. With H2opZee the Netherlands is becoming a world leader in this area. That is why we, together with RWE, are enthusiastic about H2opZee and what it has to offer the Netherlands.”
