Green infrastructure developer Cerulean Winds, which wants to build a 200-turbine floating wind and hydrogen project in Scotland, has signed an agreement with px Group, the UK operator of large-scale industrial facilities.

Cerulean in June filed plans to develop a $ 14 billion 3GW floating wind project at sites west of the Shetlands and in the central North Sea, supplying electricity to oil platforms and offshore gas and an electricity surplus of 1.5 GWh for onshore green hydrogen plants.

The company says its project has the capacity to generate 3 GWh of electricity, enough to electrify the majority of offshore installations, reducing CO2 emissions by more than half from 2025. A surplus of 1.5 GWh of electricity would be diverted to terrestrial green hydrogen factories, by Azuré.

The three terrestrial hydrogen sites would be located in the north of England, the north-east of Scotland and in the Shetlands.

Under the agreement, px Group would be responsible for the rental and ownership agreements of the sites and for obtaining planning permissions and permits. This would include obtaining general approvals before more detailed engagement with local government, regulatory and environmental stakeholders.

“px Group, which owns Saltend Chemicals Park in Humber, manages, operates and maintains some of the UK’s largest industrial facilities, including the NSMP St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead. The new deal would see px Group operate the facilities of hydrogen production and the associated land-based infrastructure, including land-based substations and grid connections, â€Cerulean said.

“Px Group’s expertise and asset base make it a valuable addition to Cerulean’s UKCS decarbonization proposal,” said Dan Jackson, founding director of Cerulean Winds.Floating wind turbine illustration – Credit: Cerulean

“This project which would allow the offshore industry to help reduce emissions from onshore industrial sites is a real turning point in the transition towards a common approach to fight against the acceleration of the decarbonization of on and offshore industrial facilities in the United Kingdom. United.

“The North Sea Transition Agreement calls for a 10% reduction in offshore emissions by 2025, reaching 25% by 2027 and 50% by 2030. Cerulean’s proposal would exceed these targets. Most importantly, green energy would be used to generate green hydrogen which could be used to decarbonize other industrial sectors.

“This allows us to put ourselves on an equal footing with other countries like Germany which has made the decision to decarbonize its heavy industries and is actively seeking to use green energy from wind farms to do so.”

Geoff holmes, the CEO of px Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Cerulean on this potentially revolutionary project. As owner and operator, px Group has over 25 years of hands-on experience in developing cleaner energy projects and reducing emissions. The operation and management of the infrastructure that supports the UK’s energy transition is at the heart of our business and we are delighted to be able to support the decarbonization of offshore installations in the North Sea.

Cerulean said progress on its £ 10 billion green infrastructure plan depended on a decision by Marine Scotland.

The company said it had filed a formal request for seabed leases, asking the Scottish and UK governments to present an “exceptional” case to achieve an “extraordinary” result for the economy and the environment.

A favorable decision, Cerulean said, must be taken by the third quarter of this year to move the program forward to meet the deadlines set in the North Sea Transition Agreement.

“Timing is absolutely critical in this area,†Jackson said. “Everything depends on the granting, even conditional, of these leases by this fall so that we can move forward on time. The risk of not moving quickly on basin-wide decarbonisation would totally undermine the goals set out in the North Sea Transition Agreement and delay the potential to have a significant impact on reducing emissions from industrial assets. down.