Wind Energy – HKN Offshore Wind Farm
Dutch offshore wind farm developer CrossWind has rewarded Italy-based Rosetti Marino a new Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation and Commissioning (EPCIC) contract.
The contract is for building and demonstrating a green hydrogen production and storage plant – called the ‘Baseload Power Hub’ – located within CrossWind’s Hollandse Kust Noord offshore windfarm, 18.5 kilometres off the Dutch coast.
The innovative pilot plant on a MegaWatt scale, fully integrated in an offshore wind farm, is a world first. It will convert excess wind energy to green hydrogen through an electrolyser and store it as green hydrogen, that can be converted to electricity when needed via a fuel cell. It will also include battery storage for shorter term power storage.
The Baseload Power Hub aims to reduce the problem of the intermittent character of renewable energy production as the wind does not blow at all times, by storing energy and releasing it when demand exceeds the wind farm output.
The scope of work of the contract awarded to Rosetti Marino includes detailed engineering of the Baseload Power Hub, procurement of material and equipment, construction work, transport and installation at sea, commissioning and start-up of the platform (EPCIC).
Activities are due to start immediately and are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
