The global green hydrogen pipeline alone exceeds 250GW, 200 times the power produced in 2020. Clearly, there is a huge potential for this zero carbon fuel. And the future for green H2 looks even bigger.
Currently the biggest PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyser plant is Air Liquide’s 20MW facility in Canada. By the end of this decade (often dubbed as the decade of Hydrogen), there will be plants a hundred times this capacity. We have rounded up some of the biggest gigawatt-scale green hydrogen projects worldover that you should take note of.
HyDeal Ambition (67GW)
Located across Western Europe – from Spain, eastern France to Germany – HyDeal Ambition would be roping 95GW of solar power to drive its 67GW of electrolysers. Around 30 energy players would make this possible. This includes gas wholesalers such as Snam, Enagás and OGE; electrolyser creator McPhy among others. It could help to convey green hydrogen across Europe at €1.50/kg before 2030, hoping to have 3.6 million tons of H2 yield annually.
Stipulated completion date: 2030
Reckaz (30GW)
The arid steppes of western and central Kazakhstan is a paradise for solar and wind. German-based Svevind Energy will join hands with KazakhInvest company to capture these renewable energies to produce clean hydrogen. Almost 45GW of wind and sun based utilisation could yield 3,000,000 tons of green hydrogen each year.
Stipulated completion date: 2028
Western Green Energy Hub (28GW)
The South east and western Australia will be seeing a lot of green H2 focused development. Around 50GW of wind and sun energy will be garnered for the 28 GW of electrolysers. A consortium including InterContinental Energy and CWP Global are investing across this terrain to sell homegrown green H2 to business sectors in and around. Up to 3.5 million tons or 20 million tons of green alkali is expected from this plant. The estimated cost of this plant is about $70bn. Recently it got a permit from the Western Australia government for possibility studies.
Stipulated completion date: 2028
Aman (16-20GW)
Mauritania is the first African country in this list that is all set to develop its northern regions for green H2 plant. It will be capturing 30GW of wind and sunlight based energy to fuel the H2 plant’s electrolysers. Owned by CWP Global, it will decarbonise smelling salts compost. As of June 2021, the Mauritanian government was in talks with CWP global.
Stipulated completion date: Not Stated
Green Energy Oman (14GW)
The facility will be operated by a consortium of companies including InterContinental Energy, Omani oil and company OQ, and Kuwaiti state-claimed tech organisation EnerTech. Almost 25GW of wind and sun energy along with hydro will drive the 14GW of electrolysers. This project could finish by 2038, with about 33% of it ready to go in 2028. Though the total cost of the project isn’t clear, even a fraction of the project (33%) is estimated to cost $10bn.
Stipulated completion date: 2038
Asian Renewable Energy Hub (14GW)
Nestled in Pilbara, Western Australia is another opportunity for Australia’s green Hydrogen story. By garnering 16GW of coastal breeze and 10GW of sun based power to drive 14GW of electrolysers, the Asian Renewable Energy hub could yield 1.75 million tons each year (which would deliver 9.9 million tons of green alkali). Engineered by InterContinental Energy, CWP Energy Asia, Vestas and Macquarie, the primary aim is to produce green H2 and green smelling salts for the Asian market. It could run up to $36bn in construction cost.
Stipulated completion date: 2027-28
NortH2 (no less than 10GW)
Situated in northern Netherlands and powered by Offshore wind energy, NortH2 hopes to produce 1,000,000 tons each year. Owned and operated by Shell, Equinor, RWE, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports, NortH2 plans to assist with driving weighty industry in the Netherlands and Germany. Currently the feasibility studies are underway.
Stipulated completion date: 2040 (1GW by 2027, 4GW by 2030)
AquaVentus (10GW)
This green H2 plant in Heligoland, would run on Offshore wind energy. Owned by a
consortium of 47 organisations, including RWE, Vattenfall, Shell, E.ON, Siemens Energy, Siemens Gamesa, Vestas, Northland Power, Gasunie and Parkwind, this is perhaps the largest exclusively German planned plant that would work closely with an European hydrogen organisation. They aim to produce 1,000,000 tons of H2 annually.
Stipulated completion date: 2035 (30MW by 2025, 5GW by 2030)
Special mention
Egypt (unnamed) 100MW
The unnamed facility in Egypt is touted to be the largest in the world. In fact, it will be five times the current largest. Being developed by Norwegian renewable energy producer Scatec, Abu Dhabi Fertiglobe ( Fertiliser producer), the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and Cairo-based Orascom (engineering and construction contractor) it is racing for completion this to be in line with the opening of Egypt’s COP27 summit. Backed by the renewable energy grid, the consortium aims to build 100MW of electrolysers.
SOURCE: Prospero EventsÂ
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