Eneco Joins Dutch Hydrogen Scheme
Dutch utility Eneco has joined Neptune Energy as a partner on the PosHYdon pilot, the UK independent said April 29. It will contribute simulated wind data from its offshore wind farm, Luchterduinen, to support the project which aims to integrate three energy systems in the North Sea: offshore wind, offshore gas and offshore hydrogen.
Eneco was bought by Japanese firms Chubu and Mitsubishi in a deal that closed in March. The other partners already on board are the onshore and offshore pipeline operators Gasunie, Noordgastransport and Nogat.
The data will be used to accurately model the use of electricity generated by the windfarm to power the electrolysis process on the Neptune-operated Q13a platform, using sea water. The sea water is demineralised on the platform in order to produce hydrogen.
Neptune Energy's country head Lex de Groot said Eneco's participation "will provide realistic data for the pilot, which in turn delivers better insights for the next stages of the project.... The ability to convert energy from windfarms to hydrogen, then transport it via the existing gas infrastructure offers major advantages, particularly for those windfarms located much further offshore.”
Ruben Dijkstra, Director Offshore Wind for Eneco added: “Hydrogen is important for achieving the climate objectives to support sectors such as industry, the built environment and transport in their sustainability. With the possibilities of offshore wind and the enormous potential that the North Sea still offers, hydrogen production in the North Sea is an important element in the energy transition.
“Eneco gladly supports the steps being taken in this direction with the PosHYdon pilot. In addition to the technical aspect of offshore electrolysis, Eneco also has a strong interest in developing green hydrogen certificates and adding hydrogen to the natural gas network. ”
The Luchterduinen wind farm is located approximately 23 km off the coast of Zandvoort / Noordwijk and about 25 km north of the Q13a platform. There will be no direct connection between the wind turbines and the platform for the pilot. The Q13a is the first fully electrified platform in the Dutch North Sea, located approximately 13 km off the coast of Scheveningen (The Hague).
PosHYdon is an initiative of Nexstep, the Dutch association for decommissioning and reuse, and TNO, the Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research, in close collaboration with the industry.