A first-of-its-kind floating hydrogen production facility is taking shape in the Celtic Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The ‘Milford Haven: Hydrogen Kingdom’ project will see the development of what is said to be an innovative demonstrator facility that will produce hydrogen for renewable energy using a combination of offshore wind and electrolysis. It is being delivered by a consortium of organisations, including Celtic Sea Power, Dolphyn Hydrogen, The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, and Wales & West Utilities.
The consortium reports that it has now advanced both the technical design and consenting pathway, bringing the demonstrator significantly closer to construction at the offshore Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone. The PDZ is a 90 sq km test area off the south coast of Wales, leased from the Crown Estate and managed by Celtic Sea Power as part of the Pembroke Dock Marine programme.
MH:HK would initially deploy a 10 – 15 MW demonstrator, with plans to scale up to over 135 MW. This would produce more than 10 000 tonnes of hydrogen annually, enough to support decarbonisation across key industrial clusters and transport hubs in South Wales.
The project directly supports UK government hydrogen production targets, is expected to provide certainty for national pipeline initiatives like Project Union and HyLine Cymru, and aligns with the ambitions of the Milford Haven Future Energy Cluster and Celtic Freeport.
By advancing Dolphyn Hydrogen technology, developing new consenting processes for accelerated deployment, and investigating wave energy co-location with hydrogen in the PDZ, the project is notable for delivering an integrated solution linking offshore generation with onshore hydrogen distribution.
The MH:HK project has been supported by Innovate UK as part of its Launchpad: Net Zero Industry South West Wales programme, alongside co-funding through the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Pembroke Dock Marine programme.
For more information, visit: www.milfordhavenhydrogenkingdom.com
