{"id":15995,"date":"2023-10-06T08:08:26","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T06:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/?p=15995"},"modified":"2023-09-23T08:16:02","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T06:16:02","slug":"impossible-dreams-the-11-biggest-green-hydrogen-projects-announced-around-the-world-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/impossible-dreams-the-11-biggest-green-hydrogen-projects-announced-around-the-world-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"Impossible dreams? The 11 biggest green hydrogen projects announced around the world so far"},"content":{"rendered":"

If fully built out, these facilities alone would provide more than 100 million tonnes a year, about a third of the amount the planet may require by 2050<\/strong><\/p>\n

A net-zero world would require 306 million tonnes of green hydrogen to be produced annually by 2050,\u00a0according to the International Energy Agency<\/a>\u00a0(IEA).<\/p>\n

That would require something in the region of 3,000GW of electrolysers and 6,000GW of renewable energy, based on current technology.<\/p>\n

Considering the world had only installed 3,371GW of renewables by the end of last year (according to the International Renewable Energy Agency [Irena]) \u2014 and that the planet will need about 30,000GW of renewable energy to decarbonise the global electricity supply, that\u2019s a fairly tall order.<\/p>\n

Based on the notion that economies of scale would reduce the cost of green hydrogen production, several developers have announced massive and extremely ambitious projects that aim to meet much of the world’s future demand for clean H2<\/sub>.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen Insight<\/i>\u00a0has compiled a list of the 11 largest renewable H2<\/sub>\u00a0projects yet announced \u2014 based on data exclusively provided by research house BloombergNEF (BNEF), as well as publicly available information \u2014 which, if fully built out, would provide more than 100 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year, roughly a third of the amount the IEA says will be needed in 2050 to reach net-zero emissions.<\/p>\n

While Western Europe is expected to be one of the biggest demand centres for renewable H2<\/sub>, none of the listed projects are based in this region, although multiple one-million-tonnes-a-year projects such as Denmark\u2019s Brint\u00d8 and the Netherlands\u2019 NortH2 are in development on the continent.<\/p>\n

Put simply, green hydrogen projects of this kind of scale not only need to be built in places with strong winds and\/or sunshine, but they will need an awful lot of land just to accommodate the amount of wind turbines and\/or solar panels required.<\/p>\n

Clearly, these projects are enormously ambitious, and there is still substantial doubt around whether any of them will go ahead as planned.<\/p>\n

Indeed, some of them are so massive that they seem more like impossible dreams than realistic propositions.<\/p>\n

For instance, the world’s largest offshore wind farm is just under 1.4GW, but developer GHI wants to build two projects that each have 500GW of wind turbines installed at sea. To put that into context, only 63.2GW of offshore wind had been installed around the world by the end of 2022, according to Irena.<\/p>\n

Both of those projects would require wind turbine and electrolyser factories to be built at almost unimaginable scales, not to mention dozens of new turbine installation vessels \u2014 we\u2019re talking total investments adding up to more than a trillion dollars.<\/p>\n

Similarly, although the US has been cited as a top priority for clean hydrogen investment based on the offer of a generous tax credit of up to $3\/kg, only one project \u2014 Green Hydrogen International\u2019s Hydrogen City complex in Texas \u2014 ranks among the top 11.<\/p>\n

Canada, Egypt, Australia, and Mauritania each have two projects on the list, with the rest spread between Oman, Mozambique and Kazakhstan.<\/p>\n

Put simply, green hydrogen projects of this kind of scale not only need to be built in places with strong winds and\/or sunshine, but they will need an awful lot of land just to accommodate the amount of wind turbines and\/or solar panels required.<\/p>\n

Clearly, these projects are enormously ambitious, and there is still substantial doubt around whether any of them will go ahead as planned.<\/p>\n

Indeed, some of them are so massive that they seem more like impossible dreams than realistic propositions.<\/p>\n

For instance, the world’s largest offshore wind farm is just under 1.4GW, but developer GHI wants to build two projects that each have 500GW of wind turbines installed at sea. To put that into context, only 63.2GW of offshore wind had been installed around the world by the end of 2022, according to Irena.<\/p>\n

Both of those projects would require wind turbine and electrolyser factories to be built at almost unimaginable scales, not to mention dozens of new turbine installation vessels \u2014 we\u2019re talking total investments adding up to more than a trillion dollars.<\/p>\n

It is also worth noting that most of the projects listed below are at very early stages of development, and that they will still need regulatory approval, not to mention staggering amounts of funding. And if they do go ahead, they will almost certainly be built in phases.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s our list of the world’s 11 biggest green hydrogen projects, based on estimated annual H2<\/sub>\u00a0production (it was supposed to be ten, but there was a tie in tenth place):<\/p>\n<\/a>

1=) Spirit of Scotia Green Hydrogen Production Hub<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Nova Scotia, Canada<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0Green Hydrogen International, a Texas-based firm founded in 2019, which as of writing, has four employees listed on LinkedIn<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a043 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a0500GW of offshore wind<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Export to European and North American markets<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0No timeline for final investment decision (FID), construction or operation has been disclosed, but the developer says it has secured 130,000 acres of storage-grade salt cavern rights across the Canadian province.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

1=) Fleur-de-lys Green Hydrogen Production Hub<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Quebec, Canada<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0Green Hydrogen International<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a043 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a0500GW of offshore wind<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Green ammonia, but unknown if meant for international or domestic markets<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0No timeline disclosed, although 40,000 acres of potential salt cavern storage have been secured.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

3) Unnamed Nouakchott project<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Nouakchott, Mauritania<\/p>\n

Developers:<\/b>\u00a0Infinity Power Holding (a joint venture between the UAE\u2019s Masdar and Egypt\u2019s Infinity) and Germany\u2019s Conjuncta<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a08 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a010GW in full phase<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a0Not revealed<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Export to Germany, although no agreements to this effect have been signed.<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0The first 400MW phase is due to start operations by 2028, but timelines for scaling up have not been disclosed.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0$34bn<\/p>\n<\/a>

4) Western Green Energy Hub<\/h2>\n

Location:\u00a0<\/b>Western Australia, specifically, the Goldfields-Esperance region in the southeast of the state<\/p>\n

Developers:<\/b>\u00a0InterContinental Energy (based in Singapore), CWP (founded in Serbia), the Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation, and potentially South Korean power company Kepco<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a03.5 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a035GW (BNEF estimate)<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a050GW of wind and solar<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown, although co-developer Kepco, which signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop the project in July, is already exploring imports of ammonia and hydrogen to South Korea for co-firing in existing fossil-fuel-fired power plants.<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0Site assessment is ongoing, with FID due in 2027.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

5) Hydrogen City<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Texas, with pipelines to deliver H2<\/sub>\u00a0to the port of Corpus Christi<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0Green Hydrogen International<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a03 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a060GW of onshore wind and solar<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Export to Asia as green ammonia, feedstock for fertilisers, sustainable aviation fuel and rocket fuels, and co-firing in domestic power plants.<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0A first phase, drawing on 2GW of upstream renewables and using two salt caverns for storage, is due to start operations in 2026, but no timeline has been given on when the full phase will start construction.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

6) Unnamed SCZONE Ain Sokhna project<\/h2>\n

Location:\u00a0<\/b>Ain Sokhna, in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0ACME, an Indian renewables developer<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a02.1 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a018GW (BNEF estimate)<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a0Not revealed<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown, but would probably used for refuelling ships passing through the Suez Canal and\/or exports<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0Construction of an initial 100,000 tonnes-a-year pilot is reportedly due to kick off in early 2024, but no firm date on start of operations of the full project.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0$12-13bn (although this may only refer to the cost of the pilot)<\/p>\n<\/a>

7) Hyrasia One<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Kuryk, Kazakhstan<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0Hyrasia One (a subsidiary of German developer Svevind)<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a02 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a020GW<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a040GW of wind and solar built in the country\u2019s southwestern steppes<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Export as ammonia, probably to Europe (via pipeline)<\/p>\n

Development schedule:\u00a0<\/b>FID is due in 2026, with first production expected in 2030 and full capacity onstream from 2032. Preliminary studies were kicked off in June, and an investment agreement has already been signed with the Kazakh government.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0$40-50bn<\/p>\n<\/a>

8=) Green Energy Oman<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Duqm, Oman<\/p>\n

Developers:<\/b>\u00a0Oil major Shell, Intercontinental Energy, Omani state-owned oil firm OQ, and Kuwait-based EnerTech Holdings<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a01.8 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a014GW (BNEF estimate)<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a025GW of wind and solar<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Domestic use and export as ammonia to international markets<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0FID after 2026, although it is unclear whether this refers to the first phase powered by 4GW of renewables (for which the consortium had been awarded land in the Oman\u2019s first green H2 auction) or the full production capacity.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

8=) Aman<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Northwest Mauritania<\/p>\n

Developer:<\/b>\u00a0CWP<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a01.8 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a030GW of renewables (18GW wind and 12GW solar)<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Local use and export, with 50 million cubic metres of additional desalinated ocean water supplied to nearby communities and agriculture.<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0Unknown, although a framework agreement has been signed with the Mauritanian government.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0$40bn<\/p>\n<\/a>

10=) Unnamed Mozambique project<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0Inhambane, southern Mozambique<\/p>\n

Developers:<\/b>\u00a0UK-based Jearrard Energy Resources, founded in 2021<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a01.6 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a012GW of solar power<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Mainly export to Europe, some volumes to be used in Mozambique and neighbouring countries<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0Construction to kick off in mid-2024, but start of operations unknown.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n<\/a>

10=) Australian Renewable Energy Hub<\/h2>\n

Location:<\/b>\u00a0The Pilbara region in the north of Western Australia<\/p>\n

Developers:<\/b>\u00a0Oil major BP, Australian-headquartered bank Macquarie, InterContinental Energy, and CWP<\/p>\n

Estimated annual production:<\/b>\u00a01.6 million tonnes<\/p>\n

Electrolyser capacity:<\/b>\u00a0Estimated to be 14GW<\/p>\n

Power source:<\/b>\u00a026GW of wind and solar<\/p>\n

Planned use of H2<\/sub>:<\/b>\u00a0Domestic markets and export, as well as supplying renewable power directly to the local customers.<\/p>\n

Development schedule:<\/b>\u00a0At the end of 2022, BP\u2019s then chief financual officer (and now-interim CEO) Murray Auchincloss described\u00a0bringing the first phase serving the domestic market on line between 2025 and 2027<\/a>, with the full export hub to start production \u201cby the end of the decade\u201d.<\/p>\n

Expected cost:<\/b>\u00a0Not disclosed.<\/p>\n

Note: We have not included the 67GW, 3.6-million-tonnes-a-year HyDeal Ambition project in this list, as it would actually consist of several smaller projects across Spain, France and Germany, and there is no information available about those individual projects.<\/i><\/p>\n

Source: hydrogeninsight.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If fully built out, these facilities alone would provide more than 100 million tonnes a year, about a third of the amount the … <\/i>\u010c\u00edst v\u00edce<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","iawp_total_views":0},"categories":[52,50],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15995"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15995"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15997,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15995\/revisions\/15997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}