Lhyfe , the French hydrogen producer, shared the operational results of its Sealhyfe project, also known as the world’s first marine hydrogen production pilot , which returned to port in November 2023, confirming the achievement of initial objectives.
The Sealhyfe project was launched by Lhyfe on September 23, 2022, equipped with a 1 MW electrolyser supplied by Plug, with the purpose of demonstrating the technical feasibility of such a project and gaining the operational experience necessary for its rapid expansion. On board Sealhyfe, a series of measurement and data collection instruments were deployed to ensure precise management and control of all production unit parameters, both at dock and at sea, from September 2022 to November 2022. 2023.
The platform, capable of producing up to 400 kg of hydrogen per day , began production of its first kilograms of marine hydrogen on June 20, 2023. After 14 months of testing, the platform returned to the Quai des Frégates in Saint-Nazaire with its production capacity intact.
Marine hydrogen production: tests and results
During the testing period, Sealhyfe evaluated the system’s versatility and responsiveness in various configurations. The experiment also validated the system’s ability to manage wind power variability under specific marine conditions.
The electrolysis system was commissioned during planned research tests, even reaching its maximum production capacity. The performance obtained was as high as in terrestrial conditions, which confirms the reliability of the installation, according to the company.
Additionally, Sealhyfe faced five significant storms, including Ciaran, which hit the Atlantic coast in October 2023 with waves exceeding 10 meters high and winds exceeding 150 km/h. A thorough analysis of the production system, performed once back on land, confirmed that all equipment returned undamaged and with its production capacity intact .
Throughout the trial, remotely controlled onboard measuring instruments were used to identify ways to improve the efficiency and reliability of Lhyfe’s production units. The comparative testing phase at the dock helped mitigate the risks associated with the project.
According to the company, the site was operated exclusively remotely from its control center, using monitoring and control tools specifically developed by the company. The experiment made it possible to validate the software and algorithms for the production of green and renewable hydrogen, as well as reduce the number of operations necessary in the marine environment. In total, Lhyfe carried out less than ten maintenance operations and the system was up and running for 70% of the operational time.
Lhyfe’s next moves
As a next step, the results of this experiment are being integrated into the HOPE project , which represents the second phase of the company’s offshore aspirations. Coordinated by Lhyfe as part of a consortium consisting of nine partners, the HOPE project was chosen by the European Commission (EC) within the framework of the European Clean Hydrogen Partnership to receive a grant of €20 million.
Starting in 2026, this large-scale 10 MW project has the capacity to generate up to 4 tons of green hydrogen per day at sea , which will be transported to land via a gas pipeline, compressed and then delivered to customers. Building on the results obtained in the Sealhyfe project, the company also intends to ensure that production processes at sea-based sites are reliable and optimized from the beginning, thus enabling rapid and progressive acceleration.
The company’s goal is to achieve a production capacity of up to 22 tons per day of green hydrogen by the end of this year and reach up to 80 tons per day by 2026.
Matthieu Guesné, founder and CEO of Lhyfe, said: “The positive results of the Sealhyfe trial and the lessons we have learned from it represent an important new step for Lhyfe. We can now leverage our experience at three onshore sites and one offshore site to design our next green hydrogen production sites. This reinforces our experience and the trust of our partners, and supports the entire industry, because Sealhyfe has made offshore hydrogen production a reality.”.
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Source and photo: offshore-energy.biz
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