RWE, Shell, Gasunie and Equinor have signed a declaration of intent to further their collaboration on the AquaSector project, a large-scale German offshore hydrogen park.

The ‘proof of concept‘ project aims to demonstrate that offshore-based hydrogen production enables an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable way to produce green hydrogen.

The AquaVentus vision is to produce up to 10GW of green hydrogen offshore by 2035 and transport it via an extended pipeline to mainland Germany.

Approximately 300MW electrolyser capacity will be installed to produce up to 20,000 tons per year of green hydrogen offshore. The green hydrogen is planned to be transported via a pipeline, called AquaDuctus, to Heligoland starting in 2028.

The hydrogen production at sea and the transport via pipeline could offer economic advantages, being the most cost-effective option for transporting large volumes of energy over long distances. The pipeline could replace five High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems, which would otherwise have to be built.

The project can support the development of the market that will bring a rapidly increasing demand for green hydrogen.

The first step in the AquaSector project for the partners is to carry out a detailed feasibility study. The study will provide important initial indications of the conditions under which the large-scale offshore hydrogen park can be successfully realised as well as the technical and commercial challenges which need to be overcome in regards to offshore hydrogen production.