Industrial-scale floating green ammonia plant project enters next phase

The OFFSET floating green ammonia plant project led by Netherland-based SwitcH2 BV and Norway-based BW Offshore has reached the next phase with a technical feasibility study delivered by chemical engineering company thyssenkrupp Uhde.

The engineering company joined the project in 2023 to conduct the technical feasibility study for the plant, leveraging its ammonia synthesis technologies.

In addition to SwitcH2 and BW Offshore, the consortium behind the OFFSET project includes MARIN, TU Delft, and Strohm.

The project aims to develop an industrial-scale floating green hydrogen and ammonia production facility based on the proven concept of floating production and offloading vessel (FPSO).

Planned to be linked with an adjacent wind farm by 2027, the facility will produce hydrogen that can be transported to shore through existing oil and gas pipelines or newly installed Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP), while the produced ammonia can be transported to end-users by shuttle tankers.

SwitcH2 is the developer and will coordinate the overall program, while BW Offshore is responsible for the topside arrangement, hull, and mooring system design.

TU Delft will lead the research into the direct use of seawater in the electrolysis process and develop a seawater electrolysis process and Strohm will supply its proprietary non-corrosive TCP technology for hydrogen storage and offloading.

The Dutch test center MARIN will provide its wave basins for the hydrodynamic performance tests of the scale model of the final design.

With a grant of €3 million from the Dutch government and approval in principle from DNV for the design principles, the project is expected to enable offshore ammonia production with renewable energy sources by 2029.