Petrogas Transportation and Gasunie will jointly investigate the potential of repurposing a gas pipeline in the Dutch North Sea to transport green hydrogen, the companies said. 

The study is part of Demo 1, an offshore hydrogen demonstration project initiated by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, aiming to build a 20-megawatt to 50-megawatt electrolysis plant in the North Sea and connect it to the North Sea Canal Area.

Gasunie said the plan involves converting locally generated offshore wind energy into hydrogen on-site and then transporting it ashore through existing offshore pipelines. It emphasised that producing hydrogen at sea reduces the need for extensive land-based cables and electrolysers. 

The company also asserted that hydrogen transport via pipelines is cost-efficient and helps lower the overall cost of energy infrastructure. Further, it noted that hydrogen could be imported from other North Sea countries through repurposed pipelines. 

Gasunie’s study will examine the legal frameworks, economic feasibility, and environmental impacts of reusing North Sea gas infrastructure for hydrogen transport. Petrogas is focusing on evaluating various options for converting its offshore pipeline for green hydrogen transport. 

Interest in hydrogen as an alternative fuel is growing, particularly in the offshore industry. The Energy Transitions Committee forecasts a 7-9% annual increase in hydrogen demand toward 2050.