Repurposing North Sea Pipelines for Green Hydrogen Transport
Key Ideas
- Gasunie and Petrogas are partnering to investigate repurposing the Petrogas pipeline under the North Sea for green hydrogen transport as part of the Demo 1 project.
- The offshore hydrogen network aims to utilize wind energy efficiently, reduce the total cost of energy infrastructure, and allow for the import of hydrogen from other North Sea countries.
- Gasunie is evaluating technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects of repurposing the pipeline, with plans to become the future network operator for hydrogen in the North Sea.
- Petrogas is exploring options for reusing its infrastructure, including the transport of green hydrogen through its existing pipelines, to meet the latest safety standards.
Dutch energy infrastructure company Gasunie and Petrogas Transportation have joined forces to explore repurposing the Petrogas pipeline located beneath the North Sea for transporting green hydrogen. This initiative is part of the Demo 1 project, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, aimed at constructing a 20 to 50 MW electrolysis plant for green hydrogen production in the North Sea. Gasunie emphasized the necessity of an offshore hydrogen network to capitalize on offshore wind energy efficiently and reduce energy infrastructure costs. The company highlighted the benefits of converting wind energy into hydrogen at sea, mentioning space-saving advantages compared to land-based electrolyzers and cables. Gasunie also pointed out the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen transport, envisioning the utilization of North Sea pipelines for importing hydrogen from neighboring countries. In parallel, Gasunie is collaborating with various parties, including the Dutch Ministry, to evaluate technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects of repurposing the pipeline, with plans to operate the future hydrogen network in the North Sea. Petrogas is exploring different options to repurpose its infrastructure for green hydrogen transport, aligning with current safety standards. The joint efforts of Gasunie and Petrogas signify a positive step towards establishing green hydrogen transport infrastructure in the North Sea region, contributing to the advancement of renewable energy goals.