Neptune Energy to partner with Eneco on PosHYdon hydrogen pilot

Eneco will supply 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.

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 demineralized on the platform in order to produce hydrogen.

Lex de Groot, Managing Director of Neptune Energy in the Netherlands, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Eneco onboard as a partner. Their participation will provide realistic data for the pilot, which in turn delivers better insights for the next stages of the project.

“The goal is to obtain valuable lessons for successfully integrating offshore energy systems to support the acceleration of the energy transition, and the Dutch North Sea is ideally suited for this. 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 indispensable in 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 kilometres off the coast of Zandvoort / Noordwijk and about 25 kilometres 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 kilometres 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.

Eneco is the latest partner to join the pilot, following Neptune’s announcement earlier this month regarding Gasunie, Noordgastransport BV and NOGAT BV.

Partners in the Q13a-A platform are: EBN B.V. (40%) and TAQA Offshore B.V. (10%).