A Belgian group is planning to construct a facility in the Port of Ostend by 2025 to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind-generated electricity.
According to the three project partners – Port of Ostend, DEME and PMV – Hyport will cut carbon dioxide emissions in Flanders by around 500,000 to 1 million tonnes annually.
By the end of 2020, 399 wind turbines will be operating off the coast of Belgium, with a combined installed capacity of 2.26GW, while new marine spatial planning leaves space for several hundred more wind turbines, which will generate around 1.75GW.
Because the wind turbines’ production peaks rarely coincide with consumer demand peaks, Hyport will transform surplus electricity generated in off-peak times into green hydrogen, according to the partners.
Hyport’s first phase includes a feasibility study, followed by a demonstration project using mobile shore-based power.
By 2022, the roll-out of a large-scale shore-based power project, running on green hydrogen, will start.
In 2025 the aim is to establish a green hydrogen plant that will be able to offtake electricity from planned offshore wind concessions to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind.
Port of Ostend will locate the facility in the Plassendale 1 port area.
The gas will both serve as an energy source for electricity, transport, heat and fuel purposes and as a raw material for industrial purposes.
Green hydrogen is produced when renewable electricity is used in the electrolysis process to convert water into hydrogen.
PMV, which finances the development, construction and operation of the infrastructure for energy projects sees “great potential” for hydrogen in the long term and wants to stimulate and support entrepreneurial projects involving hydrogen.
An expertise unit has been set up within PMV to gather knowledge and improve funding for potential ideas. PMV will participate actively in the expansion of hydrogen activities in Flanders through this public-private partnership.
DEME said the combination of renewable energy with green hydrogen is “fully consistent with its innovation vision”. The company plans to invest in the development and large-scale production, storage and delivery of green hydrogen.