Lhyfe and Centrica have agreed to jointly develop offshore renewable green hydrogen in the UK.
The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore combining their expertise to collaborate on a pilot green hydrogen production site in the southern North Sea.
The pilot aims to use Lhyfe’s knowledge of green hydrogen production and Centrica’s experience of gas storage and infrastructure to ensure that the hydrogen produced can be safely stored and utilised in the UK.
The end result would be proof that an end-to-end hydrogen production, storage, and distribution system is possible in the country.
The energy firms will also examine an additional partnership to deploy the technology at commercial scale alongside offshore wind electricity production.
Colin Brown, UK and Ireland country manager of Lhyfe, said: “We are pleased to announce this agreement with Centrica, which represents an exciting opportunity to drive forward the clean energy transition through large-scale offshore green hydrogen production.
“Offshore electrolysis coupled with hydrogen storage will maximise the huge potential of offshore wind around the UK. The UK can become a global leader in the production of renewable green hydrogen, moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels and improving our homegrown energy security, while delivering net zero and boosting local economies.”
Martin Scargill, Managing Director of Centrica Storage, said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners Lhyfe on another exciting and world-leading Hydrogen project. Hydrogen is going to play a key role in decarbonising the UK’s power supply by 2035 and our long-term ambition is for Rough, our gas storage site, to be the world’s largest hydrogen store, offering up to 16TWh of storage capacity.
“This pilot will show how green hydrogen can be produced, moved and stored in the UK market; all while supporting the UK on its net zero journey.”