New offshore wind-to-green hydrogen project to host electrolysers on jack-up rigs

French start-up Lhyfe has agreed a deal with UK offshore engineers Aquaterra and contractor Borr Drilling to develop a concept for an electrolyser on a converted jack-up rig, using offshore wind power to produce green hydrogen. 

This would provide an offtake solution in the immediate vicinity of the wind farm, and therefore address the challenges of grid connectivity and intermittent power supply that can be associated with remote offshore projects, the partners explained.

Lhyfe hopes the project could produce 100 tonnes of green hydrogen every day and aims to commission it in 2025.

It is open to discussions with developers about locating the project anywhere, a spokesperson told Windpower Monthly.

Using wind power and existing offshore infrastructure to create green hydrogen aligns with governments’ net-zero policies and has the potential to enhance the commercial viability of remote, offshore wind farms, the partners added. 

“Offshore wind offers the greatest potential for sustainable hydrogen production because of the cost effectiveness that can be achieved through scalability and technological innovation,” says Lhyfe CEO Matthieu Guesné.

Green hydrogen’s carbon-neutral production can displace fossil fuels in synthetic fuels, chemical feedstocks and gas-fired power generation, and be used in fuel cells. Current hydrogen production, mainly from natural gas and coal, releases over 800 million tonnes of CO2 a year, according to the International Energy Agency.