The Anonymous Widower

Plans for Hydrogen Development At Dogger Bank D Gain Ground

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Dogger Bank D, the potential fourth phase of the world’s largest offshore wind farm under construction, Dogger Bank Wind Farm, has awarded contracts to engineering consultants to support the feasibility and optimization of a large-scale green hydrogen development option on the project

These three paragraphs outline the project.

SSE Renewables and Equinor, the developers of the Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK, awarded contracts for green hydrogen concept and engineering and optimization studies to Genesis, H2GO Power, and Fichtner.

If progressed for delivery, Dogger Bank D would be located in the North Sea around 210 kilometers off the northeast coast of England. Subject to the successful outcome of further technical studies, the project could be capable of generating up to around 2 GW of renewable power.

The 2 GW offshore wind farm is currently planned to comprise 128 wind turbines and up to six offshore platforms.

Note.

According to the article, this would be one of the UK’s largest green hydrogen production facilities.

The partners said, that the project could contribute to the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen ambitions for 5 GW by 2030.

This is said about the studies.

Using AI machine learning and robust modeling, these studies will investigate the multitude of interdependent variables required to optimize a potential green hydrogen production facility, such as offshore wind farm sizing, electrolysis capacity, transport and storage capacity, water availability, and offtake optionality.

I was using robust modelling on projects such as these fifty years ago, both with Artemis and bespoke software.

To my mind, SSE Renewables and Equinor are doing the right thing. If anybody has a similar project with lots of variables, I’d love to give my opinion.

I have some thoughts.

How Much Hydrogen Will Be Produced?

Ryze Hydrogen are building the Herne Bay electrolyser.

• It will consume 23 MW of solar and wind power.
• It will produce ten tonnes of hydrogen per day.

The electrolyser will consume 552 MWh to produce ten tonnes of hydrogen, so creating one tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh of electricity.

 

This would mean that if the Japanese built one Herne Bay-size electrolyser, then it would produce around three hundred tonnes of hydrogen in an average month.

Consider.

• Dogger Bank D is likely to be a 2 GW wind farm.
• This document on the OFGEM web site, says that the Dogger Bank wind farms will have a capacity factor of 45 %.
• This means that Dogger Bank D wind farm will produce an average of 900 MW over a year.
• This works out at 7,884 GWh of electricity in a year.

As each tonne of hydrogen needs 55.2 MWh to be produced, this means if all the electricity produced by Dogger Bank D, is used to create green hydrogen, then 142,826.1 tonnes will be produced.

How Will The Hydrogen Be Brought Ashore?

142,826.1 tonnes is a lot of green hydrogen and the easiest ways to transfer it to the shore would be by a pipeline  or a tanker.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the use of tankers, as this would give more flexibility and allow the export of hydrogen to countries in need of hydrogen.

Will There Be Hydrogen Storage In The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm?

This would surely be a possibility, but there are security considerations.

Cost would also be a factor!

The Location Of The Dogger Bank D Wind Farm

I clipped this map of Dogger Bank A, B, C and D wind farms from this page of the Dogger Bank D web site.

Note.

1. RWE’s Dogger Bank South wind farm is not shown on the map.
2. Dogger Bank D wind farm is the most Easterly of the four wind farms being developed by SSE Renewables and Equinor.
3. Dogger Bank D wind farm must be the closest of the Dogger Bank wind farms to the Eastern border of the UK’s Exclusive Economic  Zone or EEZ.

Dogger Bank D wind farm would appear to be ideally placed to supply hydrogen to a number of places, by either pipeline or tanker.

Could Dogger Bank South Wind Farm Also Produce Hydrogen?

In RWE Partners With Masdar For 3 GW Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Projects, I talked about the change of ownership of the Dogger Bank South wind farm.

I would assume that the Dogger Bank South wind farm will be located to the South of the Dogger Bank A,B, C and D wind farms.

Whether it will produce hydrogen will be a matter for the owners and market conditions.

I do believe though, that it could share some facilities with the those that might be built for Dogger Bank D wind farm.

Conclusion

After this brief look, Dogger Bank D could be an ideal place to build a large hydrogen production facility.

 

December 4, 2023 - Posted by AnonW | Computing, Energy, Hydrogen | Artemis, Dogger Bank D Wind Farm, Dogger Bank South Wind Farm, Dogger Bank Wind Farms, Equinor, Hydrogen Storage, Offshore Hydrogen Production, Offshore Wind Power, Project Management, Software, SSE Renewables, Wind Power