Project partners RWE, Shell, Gasunie and Equinor have signed a declaration of intent to further intensify their collaboration on the AquaSector project – the vision of the first large-scale German offshore hydrogen park.

The project aims to demonstrate that in Germany, offshore-based hydrogen production enables an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable way to produce green hydrogen. The first step in the AquaSector project for the partners is to carry out a detailed feasibility study.

The project partners intend to install around 300 MW electrolyser capacity to produce up to 20,000 tons per year of green hydrogen offshore. The green hydrogen is planned to be transported via a pipeline, called AquaDuctus, to Heligoland starting in the year 2028.

AquaSector could potentially lead to the realisation of up to 10 GW of green hydrogen offshore by 2035 and transport it via an extended pipeline to mainland Germany.

Compared to the transport of electricity generated offshore, hydrogen production at sea and transport via pipeline could offer clear economic advantages. The pipeline could replace five high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems, which would otherwise have to be built.