‘Dolphyn’, which will produce green hydrogen off Aberdeen, will use a turbine design similar to that of the Kincardine offshore wind farm.
Aberdeen has been selected as home to the “world’s first offshore floating facility” to produce green hydrogen.
The “pioneering” Dolphyn project will be located 15km offshore, allowing the UK to harness the power of super fuel through floating wind turbines.
Developer Environmental Resources Management (ERM) described it as the “beginning of the process” that will see an expected wave of thousands of green energy jobs supported by the hydrogen economy.
ERM, a London-based multinational consultancy, which earlier this year received £ 3m in UK government funding for Dolphyn, said Aberdeen surpassed Orkney and Cornwall on development.
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The company said the decision was driven by a number of factors, including the city’s ongoing hydrogen efforts, the new South Harbor expansion, and even some persuasion from Sir Ian Wood and Opportunity North East (ONE).
Sir Ian, who chairs ONE, said the move is “very positive” for the region, which is “in a unique position to lead the push towards creating a hydrogen economy”, thanks to its natural resources and petroleum legacy. and gas.
Dolphyn will start with a 2MW prototype in 2024, followed by a 10MW unit in 2027, both of which will be located at the Kincardine offshore wind farm.
ERM wants the first 10-turbine (100MW) commercial hydrogen-producing wind farm online by 2030. Thereafter, its goal is even bigger: a massive 4GW wind farm by 2034, enough to power 1.5 million homes.
Ultimately, ERM wants to implement this technology on a scale large enough to replace natural gas needs in the UK and beyond: the company has projections to create a network of hydrogen wind farms that could replace 50% of UK gas demand by 2065.