Scottish Floating Wind Project Forms Green Hydrogen Tie-Up

The 200 MW Salamander floating wind project, developed by Simply Blue Energy in partnership with Subsea 7, has signed a memorandum of understanding with ERM for the potential use of the ERM Dolphyn hydrogen technology.

The project is also working closely with Scotland Gas Networks (SGN) to potentially integrate with and connect into future 100 per cent hydrogen infrastructure or as a blend with existing gas infrastructure, which SGN are aiming to develop through their decarbonisation roadmap.

SGN is the owner and operator of the gas distribution networks in Scotland, who are currently carrying out the North East Network and Industrial Cluster Project, which in its first phase, aims to develop and deploy a hydrogen economy in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.

Prior to the Salamander project, ERM Dolphyn aims to undertake a 10 MW demonstration project, which would produce green hydrogen offshore and provide the first step needed to scale up at Salamander.

The Salamander project and ERM Dolphyn will engage in further engineering work in the coming months to assess the potential deployment of the ERM Dolphyn technology within the Salamander project.

”When we started the Salamander project, we always envisioned a stepping-stone project and a catalyser for future, bigger commercial opportunities,” Adrian de Andres, Salamander Project Director, said.

”Considering the rapidly approaching 2030 deadline for the floating wind and green hydrogen targets, we now think the Salamander project could act not only as a stepping-stone for floating wind but also potentially for green hydrogen production, paving the way for multi-GW green hydrogen developments in the 2030s. The Salamander project is targeting a lease under the upcoming Innovation & Decarbonisation leasing process and looks forward to putting forward our ambitious green hydrogen plans to Crown Estate Scotland and Marine Scotland. We believe our vision very much fits with the objectives set by the Scottish Government in the Hydrogen Policy Statement as well as the decarbonisation of the North Sea.”

The ERM Dolphyn technology combines electrolysis, desalination, and hydrogen production on a floating wind platform, with the hydrogen transported to shore via pipeline. It is an economic and scalable solution, which produces green hydrogen with no carbon emissions at the point of use, Simply Blue Energy said.

”Our ambition for ERM Dolphyn is to progress towards multi-GW, green hydrogen-producing floating wind farms over the next decade – in the UK, Europe and further afield,” Steve Matthews, Major Projects Director at ERM, said.

”Salamander potentially provides an ideal first step for us and, with the valuable support of Government and industry, it will help position Scotland and the UK at the forefront of green hydrogen generation.”

The proximity to St Fergus Gas Terminal, the significant interest in the energy transition in the Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City regions demonstrated by the recently announced Energy Transition Zone, as well as key flagship projects such as Aberdeen Vision make Salamander the ideal location for green hydrogen production, Simply Blue Energy said. The combination of floating wind and green hydrogen technologies, and the pipelines and assets surrounding the St Fergus Gas Terminal present an ideal opportunity to begin to decarbonise North Sea energy production.

”The potential for the world’s first combined floating wind and green hydrogen project to be located off the North East coast of Scotland is a hugely positive development and one that reinforces our region’s credentials in becoming a globally recognised energy cluster,” Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of ETZ Ltd, said.

”This is a pioneering project that will help enable the huge potential in green hydrogen production from floating offshore wind turbines and I commend ERM Dolphyn, working with Simple Blue Energy and Subsea 7, for moving this forward at pace. The Energy Transition Zone is being developed to ensure this region has the right facilities to support projects such as Salamander so we can realise the full potential of green hydrogen and other exciting energy transition activities.”