Dutch Project Produces First Green Hydrogen On North Sea Gas Platform

Summary

The PosHYdon project in the Netherlands has achieved a world-first by producing its initial batch of green hydrogen on an active North Sea natural gas platform. This innovative pilot, located 13 km off Scheveningen, uniquely combines offshore wind power, green hydrogen production, and ongoing natural gas extraction. The Q13a-A platform, operated by Eni Energy Netherlands, uses offshore wind electricity to convert seawater into demineralized water, then into hydrogen via electrolysis. Hailed as a "watershed moment" for energy transition, this initiative demonstrates the tangible reuse of existing offshore infrastructure for sustainable applications. The project aims to gather crucial data on costs, maintenance, and operational performance, with findings to be shared later this year.

An innovative pilot project in the Netherlands - focused on energy transition solutions - has reached a milestone moment of producing its first batch of green hydrogen on an active natural gas platform in the North Sea.

The project - PosHYdon - led by a consortium of partners with support of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is the first initiative in the world to combine offshore wind power, green hydrogen production and natural gas extraction at sea.

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The project's first batch of green hydrogen was successfully produced in late July, at the Q13a-A platform operated by Eni Energy Netherlands, located approximately 13 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen district in The Hague.

According to a spokesperson, it is the first "fully electrified production platform" in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. Onsite, seawater is converted into demineralized water that's subsequently transformed into hydrogen through electrolysis.

The electricity required for this process is supplied by offshore wind energy. All the while, simultaneous production of natural gas continues. Alongside the platform's operator Eni, other project partners include DEME Group, EBN, Eneco, Emerson, Gasunie, Hatenboerwater, Investa Expertise Centrum, Iv, Nel, Nexstep, NGT, Nogat, TAQA and TNO.

A Watershed Moment for Green Hydrogen

Lex de Groot, managing director, Eni Energy Netherlands, said: "It is remarkable to see that, together with all these public and private partners, we have been able to achieve a world first through PosHYdon.

"The reuse of existing offshore platforms for sustainable applications is now becoming a tangible reality. Together, we are taking a meaningful step towards a future offshore energy system in the North Sea."

Rene Peters, business director, energy infrastructure, TNO, called the project an important step in scaling up offshore hydrogen production based on offshore wind energy.

"We believe, the pilot offers the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and practical experience that are essential for the further development of large-scale offshore hydrogen production. This helps to reduce risks and control costs more effectively."

Nathan Pettus, president of process systems and solutions business, Emerson, described the recent production of green hydrogen at sea by PosHYdon as "a watershed moment" for global energy transition solutions.

"When we began this journey in 2022 with our project partners, we knew it would be quite the feat to combine offshore wind power, hydrogen production and natural gas production at sea. Today, that integrated vision has become a reality."

Pettus also flagged Emerson's automation and control technologies that helped make PosHYdon's milestone possible, managing the complex integration of desalination, electrolysis and gas blending processes with precision and safety.

"This project validates what we've long believed: that advanced digital solutions are essential to accelerating the hydrogen economy. As we look ahead, the success of PosHYdon opens unprecedented possibilities."

The Next Stage

The excitement of having achieved the project's first green hydrogen production is palpable along with the recognition of its next critical stage.

While PosHYdon's backers continue to gain practical experience with integrating multiple energy systems offshore and producing hydrogen in a marine environment, project research and modelling is also focused on costs, maintenance requirements, and operational performance of offshore hydrogen installations.

Additionally, during the latest test phase, green hydrogen will be produced initially with the objective of achieving stable system operations and the extent to which the system can respond to fluctuations in offshore wind power generation.

A spokesperson said the entire operational approach has been carefully assessed for safety and environmental impact, enabling the collection of valuable practical data.

The key findings from the pilot are expected to be analyzed and compiled in August and September. The results will be shared with the hydrogen sector and Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, minister of climate and green growth, The Netherlands.

Those results will help determine the next steps toward scaling up offshore green hydrogen production in Europe, and beyond.

Bulk of hydrogen currently produced around the world is gray hydrogen made from natural gas through a process known as steam methane reforming. Next comes blue hydrogen, a lower carbon version still made using SMR but with carbon capture and storage, and finally there is green hydrogen generated through electrolysis of water using renewable power quite like the PosHYdon project.

However, despite rising green investments, blue and green hydrogen currently account for less than 1% of global production, according to the International Energy Agency. This will need to change for hydrogen to play a meaningful role in a future net zero economy.