Tuesday 8 December 2020
NortH2: Equinor and RWE join Europe’s largest green hydrogen project
Equinor and RWE have joined what is claimed to be the largest green hydrogen project in Europe that aims to produce green hydrogen using renewable electricity from offshore wind.
Dubbed NortH2, it was launched in February this year by a consortium of companies that include Shell, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports and the province of Groningen.
The project aims to generate around 4GW of green hydrogen using renewable power from offshore wind off the coast of Netherlands by 2030 and more than 10GW by 2040, kickstarting the hydrogen economy in northwest Europe.
That equates to around 0.4 million tonnes of green hydrogen production in 2030 and one million tonnes by 2040, helping reduce between eight to 10 million tonnes of carbon emissions – equivalent to the yearly emissions from road traffic in Norway.
NorthH2 intends to complete a feasibility study by 2021, with the aim of starting project development activities in the second half of 2021.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said: “This is a groundbreaking project that Equinor is looking forward to contribute to. The project can be an important part in our efforts to build a competitive position in hydrogen, creating future value and industrial possibilities.
“Our aim is to be a net zero energy company by 2050 and developing a profitable low carbon value chain for hydrogen will be an essential part of our transition to become a broad energy company. Hydrogen will be key to decarbonisation and net zero efforts for the energy market, especially in otherwise hard to abate sectors which cannot be served by electricity.”
Northwest Europe is believes to be well-positioned to develop an integrated hydrogen value chain – from offshore wind development and renewable power generation to production, storage, transport and the sale of green hydrogen.
Roger Miesen, CEO of RWE Generation added: “NorthH2 is one of the most ambitious hydrogen projects in Europe. As a new partner, RWE will contribute its broad expertise to create a powerful infrastructure for green hydrogen in Northern Netherlands. We are the world's second biggest operator of offshore wind farms and have experience in the field of electrolysers, making us the ideal partner for NortH2.
“A project like NortH2, which produces green hydrogen to decarbonise industry, can contribute to achieving the Dutch and European climate targets for 2030 and to implementing the Paris agreement. We are committed to ensuring that hydrogen market can develop rapidly in Europe.”
