Zoetermeer, 29 April 2020 –Neptune Energy and Eneco announce that Eneco will today become a partner in the offshore hydrogen pilot PosHYdon. As an energy company leading in the field of renewable energy in the Netherlands and Belgium, Eneco supplies the wind profile data from its Luchterduinen offshore wind farm.
PosHYdon integrates three energy systems in the North Sea: offshore wind, offshore gas and offshore hydrogen, all taking place on Neptune Energy's Q13a platform. This production platform is the first fully electrified platform in the Dutch sector of the North Sea and is located about 13 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen.
The 129MW Luchterduinen wind farm is located about 23 kilometres off the coast at Zandvoort/Noordwijk, or about 25 kilometres north of the Q13a platform. During the pilot, there will be no direct connection between the wind turbines and the platform. The Q13a platform receives electricity through the existing electrical cable running from the coast across the seabed. During the construction of the platform in 2013, this cable was drawn through the old Calvé factory pipe, which still lay under the dunes of Scheveningen.
For the pilot, the wind profile of Luchterduinen will be simulated so that it shows a realistic result of the electrolysis. The electrolysis uses water from the North Sea, which is demineralised on the platform itself.
Integrating two energy systems
Lex de Groot, Managing Director of Neptune Energy in the Netherlands, is pleased Eneco have joined the project. “Eneco's participation contributes to a very realistic pilot setting, which will allow better insight to be obtained during the pilot going forward. Our goal is to gain extensive knowledge so that we can successfully integrate both offshore energy systems in the North Sea, helping to accelerate the energy transition. The North Sea is the ideal location because the systems are already there. Converting wind energy into hydrogen and then transporting it via the existing gas infrastructure offers great advantages, especially for wind farms that will soon be installed further out at sea.”
Lex de Groot, Managing Director of Neptune Energy in the Netherlands, is pleased Eneco have joined the project. “Eneco's participation contributes to a very realistic pilot setting, which will allow better insight to be obtained during the pilot going forward. Our goal is to gain extensive knowledge so that we can successfully integrate both offshore energy systems in the North Sea, helping to accelerate the energy transition. The North Sea is the ideal location because the systems are already there. Converting wind energy into hydrogen and then transporting it via the existing gas infrastructure offers great advantages, especially for wind farms that will soon be installed further out at sea.”
Ruben Dijkstra, Director of Offshore Wind at Eneco: “Hydrogen will be indispensable in achieving the climate targets to support sectors such as industry, the built environment and transport to help make them more sustainable. Given the potential of offshore wind and the enormous potential of the North Sea, offshore hydrogen production will be a key element in the energy transition. Eneco is therefore happy to support the steps taken in this direction by the PosHYdon pilot. In addition to the technical aspects of offshore electrolysis, Eneco also has a strong interest in developing green hydrogen certificates and mixing hydrogen into the natural gas network.”
ConsortiumThe pilot is an initiative of Nexstep, the national platform for reuse and decommissioning, and TNO in close cooperation with the industry. Gasunie, Noordgastransport BV and NOGAT BV already joined the PosHYdon consortium earlier.
Partners in het Q13a-A platform are: EBN B.V. (40%) en TAQA Offshore B.V. (10%).
