In a groundbreaking achievement, the world’s first offshore wind-green hydrogen pilot project has successfully generated green hydrogen off the coast of France.
This significant development involves using wind-generated electricity to power a process called water electrolysis, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in the production of green hydrogen.
Lhyfe, a French green hydrogen company, proudly announced the successful production of its first kilos of green hydrogen from its offshore wind-green hydrogen pilot project known as Sealhyfe. Sealhyfe, a 200-square-meter platform, was initially stationed at the Port of Saint-Nazaire’s Quai des Frégates from September 2022 to May 2023.
In May, Sealhyfe, equipped with a 1 megawatt (MW) electrolyzer, was towed 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) offshore near Nantes, specifically off the coast of Le Croisic. It was then connected via cable to the SEM-REV offshore testing hub operated by the OPEN-C Foundation, affiliated with the Central Nantes engineering school. The SEM-REV hub was already linked to the 2 MW Floatgen floating wind turbine.
Following the successful connection, Sealhyfe commenced the production of its first kilos of offshore green hydrogen. Once fully operational, this pilot project will have the capability to generate up to 400 kilograms (882 pounds) of hydrogen daily.
To ensure stability during offshore operations, Sealhyfe utilizes a floating platform called WAVEGEM, which has been specially modified for this purpose. In the next phase of testing, Sealhyfe will undergo more challenging real-life conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, putting its capabilities to the ultimate test.
This pioneering achievement represents a significant step towards harnessing renewable energy sources and producing green hydrogen on a large scale.
It demonstrates the potential for offshore wind farms to contribute to the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy, paving the way for cleaner energy solutions in the future.
Matthieu Guesné, founder and CEO of Lhyfe, said:
“Our team – supported brilliantly by our partners – has achieved a genuine feat of technology in successfully designing this first floating green hydrogen production site.
We are extremely proud to be the first in the world to produce hydrogen at sea. This has been our wish since the launch of the company and we continue to move very quickly offshore, which for us represents a tremendous development opportunity for mass producing hydrogen and decarbonizing industry and transport.”