Shell has awarded a service contract to Australian engineering firm Worley for work on its green hydrogen project at the Port of Rotterdam, which is set to be Europe’s largest.
The planned Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm will power a 200MW electrolyser at the Holland Hydrogen 1 (HH1) project, producing green hydrogen.
Once complete, Worley said HH1 will be the largest commercial renewable hydrogen production facilities in Europe.
The facility will produce around 60,000 kg of hydrogen per day, enough to keep 2,300 hydrogen trucks rolling.
Shell will use the renewable hydrogen produced at HH1 to partially decarbonise fossil fuel production at its Energy and Chemicals Park in Rotterdam.
The project will also support the industrial use of hydrogen in the heavy transportation industry
As part of the contract, Worley will provide detailed design and procurement, and construction management support services.
These include integration work with key vendors and other assets such as offshore wind, pipelines, electrical grids and the refinery.
Worley will deliver the work from its offices in The Hague and Mumbai, India.
Worley group president Mark Trueman said the HH1 project showcases the critical partnership between the two firms to deliver “innovative large-scale renewable hydrogen infrastructure”.
“We appreciate Shell’s confidence and are committed to working with Shell and the other key vendors to deliver this important project,” he said.
Shell’s Holland Hydrogen project
Shell took a final investment decision (FID) on the Holland Hydrogen I facility in 2022, with the project set to be operational by 2025.
Hydrogen produced at the plant will be transported via the HyTransPort pipeline to the replace some of the grey (fossil fuel-derived) hydrogen currently used in its refinery at the Port of Rotterdam.
Shell said it would help to “partially decarbonise” some of the facility’s energy products such as petrol and diesel and jet fuel.
Announcing the FID at the time, Shell’s executive vice president for emerging energy solutions Anna Mascolo said renewable hydrogen will play a pivotal role in the energy system of the future.
“This project is an important step in helping hydrogen fulfil that potential,” Ms Mascolo said.
While Shell is moving ahead with HH1, questions were raised about its commitment to its low-carbon solutions sector after the company cut 200 jobs in October last year.