The AmpHytrite project, is aimed at mastering the complexity of a centralized offshore and off-grid H₂ production unit and is aiming a staged construction and operation of this green H₂ offshore wind production unit. The ultimate objective of the project would be to contribute to affordable large-scale green H₂ production at sea, thereby supporting decarbonization and accelerating the energy transition.

Should the outcome of the study be viable, the realization of the AmpHytrite demonstrator is preferably placed at Sif’s Maasvlakte 2 terminal in the Port of Rotterdam considering all current and future safety perimeters. The Maasvlakte 2 terminal enables the unit to be deployed in a safe manner without impacting Sif’s core business and possible future expansions. The demonstrator is planned for operational use and testing by 2023.

The project scope, which is designed to simulate the complexity of having a centralized green H₂ unit operating offshore and off-grid, would examine the end-to-end process: from the green electrons provided by the wind turbine generator to the required offtake profile for the onshore H₂ customer. In doing so, the MoU would permit the parties to put in place a demonstration project to validate that a full commercial offshore, off-grid centralized green H₂ windfarm project could be feasible.

The MoU envisions that the project will have three phases. Phase one would involve a concept study in which project teams of KCI, Sif, Pondera and GE Renewable Energy carry out a feasibility study of offshore, off-grid centralized green H₂ production. During the second phase, envisioned to be operational by 2023, a small-scale (producing approx. 750 tpy of green H₂ onshore unit at Sif’s Maasvlakte 2 terminal is foreseen to be installed, solely powered by the Haliade turbine on site, as if being offshore and off-grid.

The objective of this phase would be to develop and construct a smaller version of the main phase as proof of concept, taking on the full complexity of offshore and off-grid operation, whilst being installed onshore at the Sif terminal. The third phase would involve scaling up the concept to a total windfarm size at full scale, offshore and off-grid, using the tested technology of phase 2.