EuropeOffshoreRenewables

Centrica teams with France’s Lhyfe for UK offshore green hydrogen pilot

UK energy supplier Centrica has joined forces with French renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe to develop offshore renewable green hydrogen in the UK.

Under a memorandum of understanding, Lhyfe and Centrica will explore combining their expertise to collaborate on a pilot green hydrogen production site in the Southern North Sea.

The pilot will aim to ensure that the hydrogen produced can be safely stored and utilised in the UK. The end result would be proof that an end-to-end hydrogen production, storage, and distribution system is possible in the country, the companies said, adding that they would also explore an additional partnership to deploy the technology at commercial scale alongside offshore wind farms.

The UK has doubled its low-carbon hydrogen production target from 5 GW to 10 GW by 2030, with at least half of this coming from green hydrogen. Renewable green hydrogen coupled with offshore wind power is expected to play an increasingly important role in the UK’s energy mix, particularly with rapid expansion expected in both of these areas over the next five to ten years.

Centrica has earmarked its Rough reservoir, located offshore in Humberside and which stored natural gas for over three decades, as potential hydrogen storage to cover around half of the UK’s requirements.

Martin Scargill, managing director of Centrica Storage, said: “Hydrogen is going to play a key role in decarbonising the UK’s power supply by 2035 and our long-term ambition is for Rough, our gas storage site, to be the world’s largest hydrogen store, offering up to 16TWh of storage capacity. This pilot will show how green hydrogen can be produced, moved and stored in the UK market; all while supporting the UK on its net zero journey.”

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
Back to top button