BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 27. The NorthH2 Project Company GmbH, Deutsche Offshore-Testfield- und Infrastruktur-GmbH & Co. KG, and the Offshore-Windenergie Foundation plan to build an offshore electrolysis demonstrator at the Alpha Ventus wind farm in the German North Sea, Trend reports.
The 10 MW offshore electrolysis demonstrator is part of the NORTHSEA Hydrogen project, developed by NorthH2, and aims to test the feasibility of producing hydrogen directly at sea. Using power from Alpha Ventus, the project will employ a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer to split desalinated seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
During low-wind periods, the hydrogen produced will be stored, with options for reconversion under investigation. Once the AquaDuctus pipeline connects the North Sea to the land-based network, the hydrogen will be fed into the grid.
This project is expected to provide crucial insights into the potential for offshore electrolyzers to operate commercially, while also offering a platform for industrial partners and researchers to test and optimize systems in real-world conditions.
Andreas Wellbrock, Managing Director of NorthH2, emphasized the importance of the project in advancing green hydrogen production offshore, noting its potential to improve efficiency and overcome grid connection challenges. Karina Würtz, Managing Director of the Offshore-Windenergie Foundation, highlighted the need to address technical and economic hurdles, particularly in the harsh conditions of the North Sea, and welcomed the opportunity to test the technology at Alpha Ventus.