Centrica unveils offshore hydrogen production plans

Centrica has announced it is exploring options to develop green hydrogen via offshore wind, in a deal which the company is claiming to be an industry first.

Under an agreement with European green and renewable hydrogen producer Lhyfe, the companies will collaborate on a pilot green hydrogen production site in the Southern North Sea.

The deal will see the companies combine Lhyfe’s expertise on production and Centrica’s experience of gas storage and infrastructure to ensure that the hydrogen produced can be safely stored and utilised in the UK.

Centrica plans to use its Rough gas storage site to store the hydrogen produced via the project.

The pair are aiming to design an end-to-end process involving hydrogen production, storage and distribution which they say would be an industry first.

Furthermore, the firms say they will examine an additional partnership to deploy the technology at commercial scale alongside offshore wind electricity production.

A spokesperson told Utility Week that as the project was still in its early stages, it was yet to be decided which windfarm will provide the power to produce the hydrogen.

Colin Brown, UK and Ireland country manager of Lhyfe, said: “Offshore electrolysis coupled with hydrogen storage will maximise the huge potential of offshore wind around the UK.

“The UK can become a global leader in the production of renewable green hydrogen, moving away from our reliance on fossil fuels and improving our homegrown energy security, while delivering net zero and boosting local economies.”

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.”