TNO, Boskalis, Visser & Smit Hanab, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, SoluForce and HYGRO are working together on an unprecedented integration of technologies. By means of water electrolysis integrated into an offshore wind turbine, wind energy is directly converted into hydrogen and is then brought ashore via high-pressure composite pipelines.
According to Jan-Willem Langeraar, Director Business Development at HYGRO, their synergetic solution generates 40% more energy and delivers to the end-user at 35% lower cost in comparison to wind turbines that supply electricity to the grid. Langeraar says hydrogen has the future: "Due to the synergy between turbine, electrolysis and pipelines hydrogen is becoming increasingly more affordable and will soon be cheaper than electricity and diesel."
With the SES subsidy HYGRO is now searching for a suitable location in the port of Rotterdam for its demonstration turbine, which is planned following the study. The port area is very well suited because its industry can make use of the hydrogen produced in this pilot phase right off the bat. “When the turbines will eventually be situated at sea, the port of Rotterdam, with its vast amounts of transshipment and industrial activity, is also the most logical location for our hydrogen to come ashore,” says Langeraar. Besides finding a suitable pilot location, additional engineering work will be needed following the feasibility study. This is to make sure large scale production of the turbines at a later stage is possible without any technical problems.
