The developers of the NortH2 green hydrogen project in the Netherlands have signed a letter of intent to sell significant volumes to Dutch ammonia and methanol producer OCI.

NortH2 plans to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis powered by offshore wind in the Groningen region in the north of the Netherlands. Under the non-binding agreement, the developers would sell hydrogen produced by the project to OCI. The developers are targeting 4GW of capacity by 2030.

The consortium developing NortH2 comprises Shell, Norway’s state-owned Equinor, German energy firm RWE, Dutch gas company Gasunie and Dutch utility Eneco.

OCI says switching its ammonia and methanol feedstock to green hydrogen is technologically straightforward and will be relatively fast, adding the partnership with NortH2 will create an integrated green ammonia and methanol value chain.

4GW – NortH2 target capacity by 2030

Its production plants are strategically located and ideally positioned to connect to the NortH2 project and Gasunie’s planned hydrogen pipeline backbone in the Netherlands.

“Green ammonia and methanol production is a logical starting point to develop a green economy in the Netherlands and Europe as it creates a wide range of green products helping create sustainable value chains of food, fuels and consumer goods,” says Ahmed el-Hoshy, CEO of OCI.

NortH2’s developers are carrying out feasibility studies, and they say the project could potentially be operational by the end of the decade. The plan is to deploy electrolysers onshore at Eemshaven, but the consortium is also considering the use of offshore electrolysers in subsequent expansion phases. The plan envisages an increase in capacity to 10GW by 2040.

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Author: Stuart Penson