Countries including the UK advance in developing floating platforms for hydrogen power generation
In a significant step forward for the green hydrogen industry, Ohmium has signed a term sheet to supply a 300MW offshore floating ammonia project with its PEM electrolyser technology. The agreement is with BW Offshore's joint venture SwitcH2, off the coast of southern Europe.
The project, while technically feasible, faces challenges including high production costs, the need for new infrastructure, and safety concerns regarding storage and transport. Ohmium's electrolysers are to be installed on SwitcH2's 268-metre floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Deutsche ReGas GmbH & Co. KGaA is leading the realization of the H2-Import-Terminal Lubmin, a floating import terminal for the industrial conversion of green ammonia into green hydrogen. The terminal, planned to start operations from early 2026, is expected to produce around 30,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year.
The evolution of international standards for hydrogen handling and transfer is essential to ensure safe and widespread implementation. One such project is the H2-Import-Terminal Lubmin, which does not appear in the earlier bullet points.
Elsewhere, Elire Infra has secured £1m funding for studying the feasibility of hydrogen floating power hubs. The study, which runs from 13 September 2022 to 31 March 2026, involves a wind, wave, and solar plant located 100km offshore, with green hydrogen produced and liquefied onsite. The aim is to cut emissions from port operations and contribute to the UK's transition to Net Zero.
Significant investment is needed for new infrastructure, including pipelines, storage solutions, and specialized vessels for transport. Hydrogen's overall energy efficiency is a concern, particularly due to the multiple conversion steps from electricity to hydrogen and back to power.
In an effort to address these challenges, Lloyd's Register and green hydrogen tech outfit H2Terminals are exploring the transport of hydrogen to businesses on the UK's Thames estuary and river. Producing green hydrogen using renewable energy is currently expensive, making it difficult to compete with established fossil fuel sources.
However, the widespread adoption of hydrogen floating power hubs will depend on further technological advancements, substantial cost reductions for electrolysers, and the development of dedicated hydrogen transport networks. International standards for hydrogen handling and transfer are evolving to meet these challenges and ensure a sustainable future for green hydrogen.
