French partners target construction of offshore green hydrogen platforms

Offshore staff

NANTES.SAINT-NAZAIRE, France — Lhyfe and shipbuilding group Chantiers de l’Atlantique have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop offshore hydrogen production platforms.

The two companies had been cooperating for the past 18 months as part of the SEM-REV project concerning a pilot system for offshore hydrogen production. They are preparing to launch in September what they claim is the world’s first offshore renewable hydrogen production demonstrator off the coast of Saint-Nazaire, western France.

However, their longer-term goal has been to deploy the system on a large scale for offshore renewable hydrogen production projects with on-grid or off-grid wind farms.

Under the MoU, Chantiers de l’Atlantique would design, build and install the platforms, with Lhyfe managing design and operation of the renewable hydrogen production facilities. The agreement also extends to port areas.

For offshore projects, the partners plan to develop production solutions with a minimum capacity of 100 MW, to be either installed on existing fixed structures or mounted on seabed foundations or floating platforms.

"The production of renewable green hydrogen on a very large scale is now within reach," said Thomas Créach, Lhyfe’s technical director.

Frédéric Grizaud, director of the Marine Energy & Engineering Business Unit with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, added, “We are now in a position in France to offer green hydrogen production solutions for the international market.”

06.15.2022