And no wonder when burned, hydrogen produces zerogreenhouse gas emissions.
However, the transition to a renewable hydrogen economy must first overcome a non-insignificant list of challenges.
It is also about three times as expensive as its grey counterpart, produced from fossil fuel sources.
Enter fully offshore wind-to-hydrogen, where high capacity factor floating wind turbines are connected to electrolysers that utilise seawater.
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It has attracted around 80mn in funding, and says its mission is to become a green unicorn.
That Lhyfe became a hydrogen producer at all is almost something of a side effect.
When producing one kilogram of hydrogen through electrolysis, you also release eight kilograms of oxygen as a by-product.
(Chinese state-owned Donfang Electricmay have beatenLhyfe to the actual production by a couple of weeks.)
Sealhyfe is located approximately 20km off the coast of Le Croisic, France.
Today it produces half a tonne of hydrogen per day.
It is plugged into the SEM-REV powerhub the first European floating wind farm and site for multi-technology offshore testing.
SEM-REV has an underwater hub, which is like a giant block with four sockets.
Lhyfe has until May next year before it needs to disconnect from the SEM-REV hub.
Hydrogen HOPE
Lessons from Sealhyfe will inform future offshore projects.
This includes the unprecedentedly large-scale 10MW HOPE, which Lhyfe is coordinating with another eight partners.
The European Clean HydrogenPartnership program has selected the project for a 20mn grant.
HOPE will produce up to four tonnes of green hydrogen a day.
Intentions are to have it up and running outside the coast of Belgium in 2026.
By 2030, Lhyfe means to have multiplied several 10MW projects for a total capacity of 100MW.
AcrossEurope, several other offshore wind-to-hydrogen production projects are beginning to take shape.
Also, wind speeds are generally higher and steadier out at sea, permitting consistently greater output.
It will attempt to prove the financial viability and best configuration for offshore wind-to-hydrogen.
However, the industry is not satisfied with the ambitions.
The Dutch government is also pushing the offshore hydrogen agenda.
I think Europe was smart enough to bet on hydrogen and to support hydrogen early enough.
To support this aim, it intends to mobilise 372bn through the InvestEU program by 2027.
Story byLinnea Ahlgren
Linnea is the senior editor at TNW, having joined in April 2023.
Dabbles in gaming and fitness wearables.
But first, coffee.
