Lloyd’s Register has linked up with H2Terminals and its partners to explore an offshore green hydrogen project that could power industries in the Thames Estuary and support the region’s redevelopment.
Lloyd’s Register has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2Terminals and supply chain partners, HiDROGEN and D3IM, and now, the parties will get to work exploring floating production and transport of hydrogen, while identifying regulatory requirements such as safety cases and risk assessments for the development of an offshore island and supply chain that can provide hydrogen to businesses on the Thames Estuary and the river.
The plans include developing a wind, wave and solar energy plant 100km offshore. The green hydrogen that is then generated on the floating island will be converted into its liquid state before being transported by ship to a terminal on the Thames Estuary. Once there, the hydrogen will be transferred into floating barges, converted to electricity and hot water, as well as other byproducts such as liquid nitrogen and oxygen. There will be batteries installed on the barges that can then store electricity while transporting it to where it will be used.
The MoU will include a formal assessment of technology, such as the development of asset designs, qualification of containment systems, and floating hydrogen production and floating energy export systems. The project plans do include using approved materials that can hold and insulate green hydrogen at -253°C. Further elements of the MoU include defining an assurance programme for floating hydrogen production, hydrogen ships, classification and energy export systems.
