27 Feb 2020 | 14:11 UTC — London

Shell, Dutch partners plan Europe's biggest green hydrogen project

Highlights

NortH2 to turn offshore wind into hydrogen

First hydrogen for Groningen by 2027

Plans for 3-4 GW offshore by 2030

A Dutch consortium of Shell, gas grid operator Gasunie and Groningen Seaports plans to produce enough offshore wind power by 2040 to produce 800,000 mt/year of green hydrogen, it said Thursday.

The plan, dubbed NortH2, envisages use of 3 GW to 4 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 for hydrogen production in Eemshaven, rising to 10 GW by 2040.

"Together, we are launching an ambition that puts the Netherlands at the forefront of hydrogen globally," Shell Netherlands' president-director Marjan van Loon said.

Electrolysis of renewables to produce hydrogen would initially be centered on Eemshaven before also moving offshore.

"In order to realise this project we will need several new partners," van Loon said.

The project is expected to start this year with a feasibility study. It has the support of the province of Groningen.

The first wind turbines used for green hydrogen production could be ready from 2027, the consortium said.

This would depend on the outcome of offshore wind tenders (see table) and availability of electrolysis sites, it said.

The project dwarfs existing green hydrogen projects in the region.

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Podcast: Costing sustainable hydrogen: prices, pathways and policies

Infographic: Sustainable hydrogen: blue and green pathways to decarbonisation

Gasunie and chemicals firm Nouryon plan a 20 MW electrolyzer for green hydrogen production at Delfzijl in Groningen province.

This would be the biggest electrolyzer to date in Europe with an investment decision due later this year.

Meanwhile Shell is building a 10 MW electrolyzer at its Rheinland refinery in Germany, set to start this summer.

Shell is also part of the Blauwind consortium that won the 700 MW Borssele III/IV offshore wind concession in Dutch waters. The wind farm is due online next year.

SELECTED HYDROGEN ELECTROLYZER PROJECTS IN NW EUROPE

Project
Capacity (MW)
Location
Use
Developer
Start
Electrolyzer
Notes
H2FUTURE
6
Linz, AT
Steel plant
Voestalpine, Verbund
2019
Siemens
€18 mln EU funding
REFHYNE
10
Rhineland, DE
Refinery
Shell
2020
ITM Power
€20 mln investment (€10 mln EU grant)
DJEWELS
20
Delfzijl, NL
Chemicals
Nouryon, Gasunie
tba
McPhy
FID planned 2020 (€16 mln funding)
HyPort
50
Oostende, BE
Offshore Wind
DEME, PMV Oostende port
2025
tba
Early stages
ELEMENT EINS
100
Diele, DE
Substation
Tennet, Gasunie, Thyssengas
2022
tba
Feasibility study concluded
HyBridge
100
Lingen, DE
Substation
Amprion, OGE
2023
tba
€150 mln investment proposed
BP Rotterdam Refinery
250
Rotterdam, NL
Refinery
BP, Nouryon, PoR
tba
tba
FID planned 2022
NortH2
tba
Eemshaven, NL
Offshore Wind
Shell, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports
2027
tba

Feasibility study started

Source: S&P Global Platts

DUTCH OFFSHORE WIND 2030 ROADMAP

Zone
Capacity (MW)
Tender
Start
Hollandse Kust (West)
1400
2021
2024
North of the Wadden Islands
700
2022
2026
IJmuiden Far Offshore
4000
2023-23
2027
tba
900
tba
tba
Five projects under 2013 accord
3500
2016-2020
2020-2024
Existing capacity
1000
Total by 2030
11550

Source: Dutch Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy