45,000 tons of green hydrogen per year

For decades, the North Sea was synonymous with oil and gas, holding a good part of the European economy and energy supply. Today, in full transition to renewables, that same sea is emerging as the scenario of a change of era: there has not been discovered a hidden reservoir, but the production of 45,000 tons per year of green hydrogen.

Is this possible? Some media They have replicated The same narrative of finding a natural hydrogen site in the North Sea, but the reality is very different. An official statement from Totalenergies and Air Liquide They announced two projects of electrolysis in the Netherlands and Belgium that, added, could produce that amount of green hydrogen every year from renewable electricity generated in the Oranjewind marine wind park.

In short, there is no hydrogen deposit “under the sea”. What there is is production potential thanks to offshore wind turbines that provide energy to electrolyte capable of dividing water into oxygen and hydrogen. Electrolysis It consists of applying electricity (If it comes from renewable sources, such as wind, we talk about “green” hydrogen) to previously treated water to separate its oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Subsequently, hydrogen is compressed or transported by pipes towards its industrial or energy use.

There are many plans in sight. The project mentioned above contemplates an electrolyzer of 250 MW in Zeeland with the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tons per year, it is scheduled for 2029. Also, there is one of “Tolling” with the Elygator electrolyzer in Maasvlakte, with 15,000 tons per year for the Refinery of Antwerp, operational within two years. This scheme means that Totalenergies does not build or opera directly that electrolyzer: yields its renewable electricity to air liquid, which transforms it into hydrogen, and totalenergies pay for that production capacity

In addition, others develop in Europe projects like Hope (Hydrogen offshore production for Europe), coordinated by French Lhyfe. This will install a 10 MW electrolyzer off the coast of Belgium and hopes to produce its first four tons per day in 2026, demonstrating the viability of generating hydrogen directly on the high seas.

But is there anything in motion? Pilots have been tested for three years Sealhyfea small offshore plant also from Lhyfe. However, making the leap to large -scale production faces several obstacles:

• High costs: a single electrolyzer such as Zeeland is about 600 million euros of investment.
• Technical challenges: corrosion, storms and maintenance in marine conditions.
• Environmental Impact: Offshore wind farms They can affect to marine biodiversity, fishing or provoking bird collisions with turbines.
• Fragmented regulation: Each northern sea country applies different norms, which delays common projects.

A strategic sea. The European Union has marked as a goal to boost renewable hydrogen to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify – such as steel, cement or heavy transport – and reduce dependence on fossil gas. By 2030 wants to have dozens of electrolyte gigawatts installed. In parallel, its offshore renewable energy strategy plans to reach up to 300 GW of marine wind capacity in 2050, Much in the North Sea.

Now, the North Sea does not belong to the EU as a whole: it is distributed in exclusive economic zones (ZEE) from different countries, including Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom and Norway. That means that each project must first adjust to the country’s regulations in whose Zee is. To overcome this fragmentation and scale the energy transition, Brussels promotes cross -border cooperation initiatives such as the North Seas Energy Cooperationwhich seeks to harmonize rules and interconnect projects between neighboring countries.

Goodbye gas and oil. The North Sea was for decades symbol of the European Black Gold and gas dependence. Today it could become a laboratory of the energy transition. The “Treasury” is not hidden in chests under the sea: it is a challenge that requires investment, political cooperation and technological advances. Only if these barriers are exceeded, the figures will cease to be striking holders to become a true energy revolution.

Image | Freepik

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