Hydrogen fuel cell technology is starting to grow, but there's still one big problem: Most of the world's hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels.
To be a versatile source of clean energy, hydrogen should only be produced using clean energy in a process called electrolysis. It's the goal of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), which proposes the construction of a one-of-a-kind artificial island in the North Sea. It will be entirely dedicated to the large-scale production of green hydrogen using wind energy.
The proposed “Hydrogen Island” (BrintØ in Danish) would be built in the Danish section of the Dogger Bank, a large sandbar in the middle of the North Sea. The area offers excellent conditions for the production of green hydrogen, thanks to its shallow waters and strong, constant winds. The artificial island will provide approximately one million tons of hydrogen per year, with electrolysers powered by up to 10 gigawatts of offshore wind.
Artificial island, natural energy
Dogger Bank's location in shared waters of the UK, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark makes it an ideal location for artificial island creation (and green hydrogen export).
The partner of the CIP Thomas Dalsgaard explains that “green energy will be collected on a large scale at sea, converted into green hydrogen and transported across borders via offshore hydrogen infrastructure.”
Fertile place and period, in any case. In addition to the Danish plans for the artificial hydrogen island, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are also moving. And they do so to exploit offshore wind in the area between Dutch waters and the German island of Heligoland to build green hydrogen plants.
The ambitions of these countries can show how ecological transition can be enhanced if one has the courage to think big, internationally and in integrated systems.
Time to do it
We are in a historical phase in which hydrogen could finally realize its potential.
Projects like the Danish artificial island are vanguards of what could become a global effort to introduce this form of energy.
