The newly established AquaVentus association has presented a project to install 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in the German North Sea for the production of green hydrogen.
27 companies, research institutions, and organizations are part of the AquaVentus association. These include RWE, Shell, Siemens Gamesa, MHI Vestas, Parkwind, Vattenfall, and Northland Power.
The wind farms would be built between the Heligoland island and the Dogger Bank sandbank by 2035.
The electricity generated at the wind farms would be used to produce hydrogen at electrolysis plants installed at sea.
The hydrogen would then be transported to Heligoland and further to the German mainland via the AquaDuctus pipeline system.
Some of the hydrogen stored at the AquaPortus in the Heligoland outer port would be used to power vessels such as crew transfer vessels.
The association estimates that the project could yield up to one million tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
”Offshore wind can provide electricity reliably and inexpensively and is therefore perfect for producing green hydrogen on an industrial scale,” Sven Utermöhlen , COO Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables and Deputy Chairman of AquaVentus, said.
”However, the production of hydrogen at sea requires substantial start-up investments in pilot projects. Making a clear statement on offshore production and transforming the hydrogen strategy into legislation will enable German policy-makers to speed up the development of this technology and tap into its potential for climate protection.“
In the first sub-project, AquaPrimus, RWE plans to install two 14 MW wind turbines off Heligoland by 2025. Each turbine will be fitted with an electrolyser plant installed at the foundation platform.