French hydrogen specialist Lhyfe and shipbuilding group Chantiers de l’Atlantique have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the world’s first offshore hydrogen platform.
The agreement follows 18 months of cooperation between the two as part of SEM-REV, a research project based in Nantes that is exploring ways of converting wave and wind energy into green hydrogen. If discussions progress, they will begin work on an offshore demonstration platform in September.
The structure will be located off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, in the Loire-Atlantique department of western France. If this is successful, the companies plan a network of wind and wave-power hydrogen production plants, each with a minimum capacity of 100MW.
The offshore elements would be installed on existing structures, as well as new platforms built into the seabed or floating.
The agreement was signed at the Seanergy offshore renewables conference, under way this week in Le Havre. According to its terms, Chantiers de l’Atlantique would design, build and install the platform and Lhyfe would handle the design and operation of the hydrogen production equipment.
Thomas Créach, Lhyfe’s technical director, commented in a press statement: “The production of renewable green hydrogen on a very large scale is now within reach.”
Frédéric Grizaud, director of the Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s marine energy unit, added: “We are now in a position in France to offer green hydrogen production solutions for the international market.”
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