Green hydrogen for transport and industry producer Lhyfe will team up with engineering school and research centre Centrale Nantes to demonstrate the reliability of an offshore electrolyser.
The partners intend to realise the full potential of offshore renewable hydrogen at a time when such initiatives are becoming more prevalent across Europe.
Targeting 2022 as its start-up date, the green hydrogen-generating system is intended to be powered by electricity from a floating wind turbine located off the coast of Le Croisic, France.
In order to assess full environmental, safety and operational risks associated with the project, DNV’s experts will take part in workshops and relevant technical sessions.
Commenting on the project, Santiago Blanco, Executive Vice-President and Regional Director Southern Europe, MEA and LATAM, Energy Systems, DNV, said, “This is potentially a watershed project, one we are excited to be supporting during the FEED stage.”
“Proving the safety of such activities, particularly with new technologies, to gain acceptance and move them closer to adoption, is vital for the industry and stakeholders.”
“Working with Lhyfe and Centrale Nantes to further their ambitions is something we are pleased to announce, as we believe green hydrogen at-scale is the ultimate destination for the future of energy storage.”
Specific risks to be studied include the floating barge, fuel cells and hydrogen production. As part of the study a regulations and standards review will also be included.
GEPS Techno’s floating platform will host the offshore electrolyser and connection will be established to the various sources of Marine Renewable Energy (MR) available on the offshore test site, including the Floatgen floating wind turbine.
In order to help ensure a successful outcome, Centrale Nantes is making its research facilities available and will also provide support for the various regulatory, experimental and logistical phases.
By utilising these processes to generate hydrogen, no CO2 is produced, creating a fully ‘green’ energy source that can be used for multiple utilities including long-term storage and heating applications.