Renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe is partnering with offshore contractor Borr Drilling and offshore equipment supplier Aquaterra to develop a concept for green hydrogen production in the North Sea.
Project Haldane will develop an industrial scale offshore green hydrogen production concept, through the deployment of an electrolyser system on a converted jack-up rig.
The “unique, flexible solution” will provide an off take for the electricity produced in the immediate vicinity of an offshore wind farm with the aim of using existing platforms, pipelines and terminal infrastructure to reduce costs.
With governments pushing net zero initiatives forward, this concept offers an alternative deployment of existing assets that provides both a source of green hydrogen and enhances the commercial feasibility of remote offshore wind projects.
Borr Drilling operations director Darren Sutherland said: “While we will continue to work in our traditional drilling market, this project reinforces our ambition to continuously improve the sustainability of our activities and align our service offering with the changing expectations of our customers and stakeholders.”
Lhyfe said it is already producing renewable hydrogen in industrial quantities onshore, with a direct connection to renewable energy, pumping sea water and purifying it to feed the electrolysis process.
“This is hence a production process already considering offshore harsh conditions.
“Over the last few years, we have also been working on different projects to deploy our production process offshore. Offshore wind offers the greatest potential for sustainable hydrogen production because of the cost effectiveness that can be achieved through scalability and technological innovation.
“The market is yet to deliver a flexible solution that benefits from the existing infrastructure in the North Sea and Lhyfe wants to be at the forefront of this change by creating a world-first green hydrogen production of this kind,” said Lhyfe CEO Matthieu Guesne.
While the concept is still in its early stages, the consortium is welcoming interested parties to submit enquiries.