Workshop “Success factors for offshore H2 ramp-up in the North Sea“ in Aberdeen

Aberdeen, 30^th June 2023 – The MOHN team, in collaboration with its lead stakeholder, the Net Zero Technology Centre, orchestrated its second offshore hydrogen ramp-up workshop in Aberdeen. The event brought together key stakeholders from across the UK for a day of constructive discussions and productive exchanges.

In her keynote address, Juliet Cramb-Low, representing the Scottish government, stressed the critical significance of hydrogen production and emphasized the pivotal role that the UK could assume as Europe’s leading supplier of green hydrogen.

Under the guidance of Meiko Neumann and Meryem Maghrebi from cruh21, Christoph Nolden and Philip Sander from Fraunhofer IEG, as well as Martyn Tulloch, Jason Paterson, and Hayleigh Barnett from NZTC, six working groups delved into the core topics of success factors and existing challenges surrounding the offshore hydrogen ramp-up.

Throughout the workshop, participants demonstrated unwavering dedication and enthusiasm, engaging in vibrant discussions and actively sharing their innovative ideas. Their unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable energy solutions and working towards a greener future was palpable.

The working groups distilled the following key takeaways, which serve as a foundation for the offshore hydrogen ramp-up:

✅ Suitable permitting guidelines should be set up for offshore hydrogen projects and expediate long development cycles.

✅ Governmental support is needed to implement business models and launch initiatives to foster application of existing and new technologies.

✅ Focus on holistic value chain solutions with an international outreach are necessary for hydrogen transport options to reach a bankable stage.

✅ A comprehensive demand mapping across UK and Northern Europe’s main demand centers is essential to eliminate uncertainties and kick-off investment.

✅ Collaboration would be important on national level e.g. among the ScotWind wind developers to foster green hydrogen as a feasible offtake alternative to congested power grids.

The workshop served as an influential platform for industry leaders and experts to come together, paving the way for accelerated offshore hydrogen ramp-up in the North Sea. By harnessing the insights gained from these discussions, the path towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future is steadily being forged.