Shell, Eneco joint venture CrossWind has launched a bid for the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind zone, off the Netherlands.
CrossWind intends to have the 759MW offshore wind farm operational in 2023. It will be located 18.5 km from the shore.
Both companies have issued guarantees to the joint venture for investments in the construction and operation of the wind farm.
Shell Nederland is also working with partners to develop a green hydrogen hub in the port of Rotterdam ideally with the aim of producing green hydrogen on the Tweede Maasvlakte using renewable electricity supplied by CrossWind’s Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.
Shell Nederland president-director Marjan van Loon said: “The energy transition calls for guts, boldness, and action.
“We are proud that together with our partner Eneco we are participating in the tender to build Hollandse Kust Noord.
“Through the connection of this wind farm to our possible future green hydrogen plant in the Port of Rotterdam, we want to develop a new value chain together with our partners and governments – from wind to hydrogen – to create a green hydrogen hub.
“We regard this as a stepping stone for the recently announced NortH2-project. These projects fit well with our aspirations to provide more and cleaner energy to our customers, at home, on the go and at work.”
The hydrogen plant would potentially be built on a site especially designated by the Port of Rotterdam, with a 200MW capacity, and Shell as the initial launch customer.
Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity.
Shell’s plans include operations start up at the hydrogen plant by 2023 to produce 50,000-60,000kg of hydrogen a day.
The green hydrogen produced will initially be used at the Shell refinery in Pernis to decarbonise the production of fuels.
Eneco chief strategic growth officer Kees-Jan Rameau said: “With CrossWind, we want to work towards the realisation of the first offshore wind farm with innovations with regards to system integration.
“In addition to the energy the wind farm can generate, the park offers many opportunities to (further) develop innovative techniques that can be of added value in accelerating the energy transition.
“By combining the knowledge and expertise of Shell and Eneco, we can make full use of this potential. Moreover, this wind farm contributes to Eneco’s ambition to help every household and company in the Netherlands to switch to a sustainable and clean energy supply.”
The final investment decision for the hydrogen plant has not been taken yet.