Recently, RWE announced a new project to be developed, the Nordsee Two offshore wind farm in Germany. The project plans to use 15MW wind turbines and will integrate electrolytic hydrogen production equipment into the wind farm.
The Nordsee Two (aka N-3.8) offshore wind farm, jointly owned by RWE (51%) and Northland Power (49%), has a planned capacity of 433MW. It will be built north of the German island of Juist and is expected to be operational in 2026.
Nordsee Two is one of a cluster of offshore wind projects planned by RWE (51%) and Northland Power to jointly develop, construct and operate, the other two being: Nordsee Three (aka N-3.5, 420MW), Delta Nordsee (aka N- 3.6, 480MW).
RWE said that the Nordsee Two project will use part of the electricity generated by the wind turbines for electrolysis to produce hydrogen, and the hydrogen can power hydrogen energy operation and maintenance ships, as well as provide backup power for offshore booster stations and wind turbines.
Not long ago, RWE announced that the project has received funding from the EU Innovation Fund, a fund designed to subsidize breakthrough technologies such as renewable energy, energy-intensive industries, energy storage and carbon capture. Technology projects provide more than $1.8 billion.
Among the projects being funded are two offshore wind hydrogen production projects, in addition to Nordsee Two, the other being Shell's Holland Hydrogen 1 project in Dutch waters. Shell and partners will install a 200MW electrolyser at the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm; the capacity will also be expanded to 400MW by 2027.
Hydrogen produced by Holland Hydrogen 1 will be piped to a Shell-owned refinery 40 kilometers away for desulfurization of crude oil, and some of the hydrogen may also be used in hydrogen-powered trucks.
