PosHYdon green hydrogen pilot moves to next phase with onshore test ticked off the list

The PosHYdon project, also known as the world’s first pilot that aims to produce green hydrogen on an operational gas platform in the North Sea, has reached a new milestone with the completion of its onshore testing phase.

The 15-member project consortium announced the start of the onshore testing phase at the premises of InVesta in Alkmaar on May 8, 2024.

During the onshore test, all components were integrated for the first time to help avoid costly challenges during offshore execution.

On October 2, the project revealed that the equipment, including electrolyzer, has moved from the onshore testing location to Neptune Energy’s Q13a-A platform, 13 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen (The Hague), for the next phase.

On the Q13a-A offshore platform, the electrolyzer will be exposed to challenging offshore conditions like saltwater, and severe weather conditions. The aim is to test whether hydrogen production from fluctuating offshore wind power, whether in strong or weak winds, can operate effectively. Observing how the system responds to these fluctuations will be key to ensuring success under varying conditions, the project consortium explained.

The first offshore hydrogen production is planned for the fourth quarter of 2024, with the large-scale offshore hydrogen production expected by 2030-2035.

The project will integrate three offshore energy systems – offshore wind, offshore gas, and offshore hydrogen – for the first time on Neptune Energy’s Q13a-A platform. This production platform is said to be the first fully green electrified platform in the Dutch North Sea.

The green hydrogen will be blended with the gas and transported to the coast via the existing gas pipeline. To this end, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has increased the blending specifications from 0.02% to 0.5% hydrogen. The 1 MW electrolyzer will follow the wind profile of the Luchterduinen wind farm.