Offshore green hydrogen at a new scale
A global first:
10 MW of offshore
green hydrogen
The HOPE (Hydrogen Offshore Production for Europe) project represents the next step toward zero-carbon transport and industry in Europe, building the continent’s first infrastructure for large-scale production of renewable hydrogen offshore.
Located on the North Sea coast near the port of Ostend, Belgium, the HOPE project is ideally situated to produce and deliver a reliable clean hydrogen supply at quantities that support regional industrial decarbonisation.
4 tonnes per day
of emissions-free hydrogen
100% renewable electricity
sourced through Power Purchase Agreements
3 countries supported
Belgium, the Netherlands, and France
Enabling the decarbonisation of europe’s industries
“Hard-to-decarbonise” industries cannot be powered on clean electricity alone. They require fuels that produce high temperatures for industrial processes and sufficient power for heavy vehicles.
Hydrogen is a clean, abundant, and versatile fuel source, capable of replacing natural gas in industrial uses and liquid propellants in vehicles. When burned, hydrogen does not emit greenhouse gases or pollutants— only water vapour. As a result, hydrogen fuel is the best solution to cut greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from major industries such as steel and shipping.
Producing hydrogen fuel requires electricity. To eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and maximise hydrogen’s climate benefits, this electricity needs to come from renewable sources.
Currently, the biggest obstacle to widespread green hydrogen use is a lack of infrastructure, especially co-located with renewables. The HOPE project’s goal is to enable a green hydrogen economy along the North Sea coast by creating production and transport infrastructure to harness the region’s abundant wind energy and generate clean fuel for local industry. In doing so, the project adds to the EU’s ambitious 10 Mt green hydrogen target.
Diverse Use Cases
Hydrogen is often described as an “energy source of the future,” but it is already used across multiple industries. However, most of this hydrogen comes from non-renewable energy sources such as natural gas.
The next step: Advance the production of green and renewable hydrogen, not only for future applications but also for use today.
By creating a local source of renewable hydrogen, the HOPE project will support businesses in Ostend and throughout the North Sea coast region to operate in a cleaner, more carbon-neutral way.
Agriculture
to produce fertiliser
chemicals
to manufacture methanol, ammonia & more
food industry
for the hydrogenation process
Paving the Way for Offshore Production
There are many advantages to producing hydrogen offshore: reduced strain on limited land resources, close proximity to the shipping industry and other end users, and abundant wind for cost-competitive clean energy production.
Offshore wind offers a higher capacity factor than either onshore wind or solar PV — due to the consistent high wind speeds, offshore wind plants produce over 57% of their full production capacity on average, while onshore wind plants and solar PV plants produce around 32.5% and 13% respectively. Offshore wind energy also faces fewer permitting constraints and creates less disturbance for local communities than onshore wind, making it an ideal source of energy for hydrogen production in populous areas.
57% capacity factor
32.5% capacity factor
13% capacity factor
The Next Wave of Green Hydrogen
The HOPE project has two key goals: Advance technology by developing and testing the first 10MW offshore green hydrogen production system, and demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale concepts for deployment in 2028 and beyond.
Accordingly, the project will put several groundbreaking technologies for offshore hydrogen production into use for the first time. This will contribute to a growing body of hydrogen and energy systems research, as well as the development of best practices for the industry.
10 MW PEM Electrolyser
the first of its kind to be used offshore
Recycled Offshore Barge
A jack-up barge previously used for oil drilling gets a second life producing clean hydrogen fuel
Seawater Treatment System
A low-energy, compact and economical system uses leftover heat from the electrolyser to purify evaporated seawater
Transport Pipeline
Designed for subsea use, this flexible thermoplastic composite pipeline transports the hydrogen to shore for export.
10 MW PEM Electrolyser
the first of its kind to be used offshore
Recycled Offshore Barge
A jack-up barge previously used for oil drilling gets a second life producing clean hydrogen fuel
Seawater Treatment System
A low-energy, compact and economical system uses leftover heat from the electrolyser to purify evaporated seawater
Transport Pipeline
Designed for subsea use, this flexible thermoplastic composite pipeline transports the hydrogen to shore for export.
Project Partners
News & Insights
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Events
Hope @ offshore energy 2024
Learn more about the HOPE project and the use of Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) for hydrogen transport at Offshore Energy in Amsterdam. HOPE consortium member Strohm will showcase the project together with their other innovations at Booth 2.301.
funding & Timeline
This project has received funding from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership under Grant Agreement 101111899. This partnership receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation Programme.
2023-2025
development of infrastructure
2026
project comes online
2026-2027
demonstration of viability