Vattenfall has announced the cancellation of its pioneering Hydrogen Turbine 1 (HT1) project off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland. Initiated almost two years ago and poised to operate alongside Vattenfall’s 97 MW Aberdeen offshore wind farm, known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), the project aimed to establish the world’s first hydrogen-producing offshore wind turbine. This ambitious endeavor planned to integrate an electrolyser directly onto one of the operational turbines, facilitating hydrogen production at sea and its subsequent transportation to Aberdeen Harbor.
Despite the project’s potential to produce sufficient hydrogen daily to power a bus for 24,000 kilometers and its anticipated construction of a pipeline and specialized infrastructure for 2025 operations, Vattenfall has decided to discontinue HT1. The decision, influenced by a reassessment of decentralized offshore hydrogen production and recent industry advancements, marks a shift in focus away from production due to inefficiencies in resource utilization.
The HT1 project, partially funded by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 funding programme, has played a crucial role in shaping a new regulatory and consenting framework for offshore hydrogen transportation and storage in the UK. This development, recognized for clarifying the roles and responsibilities of interlinking regulators, is vital for the future growth of the UK’s renewable hydrogen market.
Despite the project’s discontinuation, Vattenfall celebrates the technological and environmental strides made through HT1.
Lisa Christie, Vattenfall’s Country Manager for the UK, stated, “Vattenfall is immensely proud that the HT1 Project has led to the creation of the new consenting regime for future offshore hydrogen production, transportation, and storage in the UK. The technological and environmental progress we have made will also enable further advances by the industry towards the creation of a thriving offshore hydrogen production market.” The company’s findings from the HT1 project are scheduled for presentation later in 2024, promising to contribute to the industry’s ongoing efforts to establish a robust offshore hydrogen production market.
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