UK’s first offshore hydrogen production trials kick off in South Wales

After six years of development, sustainability consultancy ERM has launched offshore trials to test its Dolphyn Hydrogen process which combines electrolysis, desalination, and hydrogen production on a floating wind platform, marking the first time hydrogen has been produced from seawater in a marine environment in the UK.

The trials conducted in Pembroke Port, South Wales, through July 2024 are said to represent an important step forward in enabling the UK to produce low-carbon hydrogen safely, reliably, and at scale.  

In ERM’s Dolphyn Hydrogen process, hydrogen is transported to shore via a pipeline and it can be used directly for power generation, transport, industrial purposes, and heating.

The development of the Dolphyn Hydrogen process has been supported by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, through the Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition in the £1 billion ($1.2 billion) Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). It has been awarded funding of over £8 million ($10.13 million) to date and has also been championed by devolved Governments in Wales and Scotland.

Steve Matthews, Dolphyn Hydrogen CEO, said: “Low-carbon hydrogen has a key role to play in supporting the energy transition, enhancing our energy security and generating skilled green economy jobs. These Dolphyn Hydrogen trials mark an important milestone in our journey to deploy affordable, low-carbon hydrogen at scale that will help to deliver a more sustainable future for all.”

Tom Reichert, Group CEO at ERM, added: “Six years ago, ERM had a vision to produce affordable low -carbon hydrogen from floating wind at a scale that would help accelerate the transition to a net zero economy. We are excited to see this vision translate into reality with the UK’s first offshore hydrogen production trials. We look forward to building on this momentum to help drive progress towards a low-carbon future.”

The learnings and performance data gathered in the offshore hydrogen production trials will be used to inform the future design of full-scale Dolphyn units, which will be deployed at multiple locations over the next few years.