Sif, a Roermond-based manufacturer of foundation piles for offshore wind turbines, GE Renewable Energy, and Pondera, a consultancy business, will collaborate on research into the creation of green hydrogen at sea.
The partnership seeks to see if hydrogen created using wind energy can be produced at sea in a safe, cost-effective, and large-scale manner. If the feasibility study proves to be successful, a pilot plant should be built. It will be constructed at the Sif industrial facility on the Second Maasvlakte in Rotterdam. The massive Haliade-X wind turbine, which is installed on the site, then provides the necessary electricity.
Green hydrogen must be generated starting next year if the pilot plant is completed. Sif is aiming for a 750-tonne yearly output at first. The next stage is to scale down the land-based installation so that it may be deployed offshore in wind farms.
Green hydrogen has been considered a possible replacement for oil and natural gas, particularly in industry. Production necessitates a large amount of electricity, which is considered a barrier since it adds to the already overburdened European power grid. This barrier is overcome by manufacturing hydrogen directly at the energy source and then delivering it to the mainland via pipes. It is also less expensive to produce in this manner.
Vattenfall, a Swedish energy corporation, has revealed that it is building the world’s first wind turbine capable of producing hydrogen off the coast of Scotland. A pipeline transports the hydrogen to the surface. In 2025, Vattenfall anticipates being able to offer the first green hydrogen produced at sea.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a Danish company, plans to manufacture 1 million tons of green hydrogen per year on the Dogger Bank in the North Sea starting in 2030, using wind energy as well. According to the investment fund, by 2030, this will account for 7% of total European hydrogen consumption. The hydrogen must be transferred to the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium via pipelines. Eneco, Shell, RWE, Equinor, and Nederlandse Gasunie are all working on comparable projects together.
The port of Rotterdam is a major center for hydrogen transportation in Europe. As more hydrogen is provided from the sea, this job will become even more significant. In the future years, Rotterdam will significantly expand its essential infrastructure, including storage and pipelines. This also occurs at the Belgian ports of Vlissingen, Terneuzen, and Ghent.
