We are currently optimising our mobile site - please use desktop

Innovative Technology

Dolphyn is a world leading patented process technology. It uniquely builds on the most advanced technologies from the floating offshore wind and hydrogen sectors.

The production of offshore green hydrogen

A desalination unit first removes salts and other impurities from the seawater before it goes into the electrolyser. Wind power from the turbine generates the electricity to power the electrolyser, splitting the water molecule to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

This all takes places on top of a moored floating offshore sub-structure and without need for an electrical connection to shore. This means the platforms can be used in deep waters, where wind is at its most plentiful.

Dolphyn is an optimum solution

Dolphyn was born from a common understanding that we need to move quickly to support global energy transition and the green hydrogen economy. 

Over the last 5 years of development, we have confirmed that the Dolphyn process provides an optimum solution for safe, scalable, and affordable offshore ultra low-carbon green hydrogen production.

Lowest cost of hydrogen production from offshore wind

Scalable and without need for electrical grid connection

The design has been taken to Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage and we have confirmed that the scalable Dolphyn solution will provide the lowest cost of hydrogen production for offshore wind.  

The work completed to date has developed and de-risked the design and Dolphyn is now looking to deploy a first phase commercial scale project including a demonstrator unit.

A range of technologies and system layouts have been assessed, which has led to the selection of the de-centralised semi-submersible Dolphyn design.

From long distances offshore, the transport of hydrogen to shore is less expensive than electricity and the hydrogen pipeline itself also provides storage capacity.

Stephen Matthews "Dolphyn was born out of a need to find the lowest cost way to produce hydrogen quickly and at large scale from offshore floating wind. It is focused on supporting the global energy transition and the green hydrogen economy."

Health & Safety

From day one, Dolphyn Hydrogen has been focused on reducing risk and increasing safety. We have built on the safety learnings from similar sectors including renewables, onshore chemicals, and offshore oil and gas; which translates into a structured approach throughout the project lifecycle, focused on inherent safety.

See Dolphyn’s H&S lifecycle

a large white building with a crane

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Dolphyn Hydrogen team respond to frequently asked questions they receive about the Dolphyn design.

What are the benefits of producing hydrogen on each turbine?

We looked at a range of configurations. Essentially, its driven by cost. It’s the cheapest way to produce hydrogen from offshore floating wind.

Why produce hydrogen offshore rather than bring electricity onshore?

Production of hydrogen offshore has a couple of advantages. Firstly, it avoids losses of energy associated with transmission of electricity via high voltage cables to shore over large distances. Secondly, decentralised offshore hydrogen production at commercial level enables a phased approach whereby production from the first unit installed can begin whilst the rest of the field is developed incrementally. At commercial scale, Dolphyn, compared to other alternatives provides the lowest cost production of hydrogen at all distances away from shore.  

How much hydrogen can be produced by Dolphyn?

Dolphyn is based on large scale hydrogen production – providing opportunity to scale the size of windfarms for limitless low carbon hydrogen production.

Is Dolphyn safe to produce hydrogen?

It is important to us that safety is at the forefront of everything we do.  Hydrogen is not a new material, it has been being produced and handled safely by experts for years. The Dolphyn process is based on combining technologies, that already have high technology readiness levels, and are already being used in offshore wind and hydrogen generation. This means they’ve passed through rigorous engineering and health and safety assessments.

Are the technologies used in the Dolphyn process proven?

The key design principle is to use the proven technologies for Dolphyn to provide confidence in the reliability and availability of the relevant system or equipment, preferably those with a good track-record from previous use. The component parts of the concept, whilst emerging technology, are all at high technology readiness level providing a good degree of confidence that the solution will work at scale. The development work that has been carried out in the last 5 years has focussed on providing the necessary evidence needed to deploy all of the primary systems on a full-scale unit.

Does Dolphyn require an electricity cable back to shore?

No, it doesn't, the technology is focussed on the production of hydrogen and is complementary to wider decarbonisation efforts and energy generation projects.

How much will the hydrogen produced by Dolphyn cost?

Its an early technology, so the price point is still a bit high. We need support from government but it’s a large scale technology, so we expect the cost to come way down. We’ve already seen that kind of cost reduction curve from offshore wind.

What about storing the hydrogen?

As an energy vector, hydrogen provides good energy storage capacity and it can be suitably stored in a way that electricity cannot. It avoids grid constraints and it enables power and gas networks to be coupled.

What opportunities will Dolphyn bring to UK suppliers?

Dolphyn offers unique cross sector opportunities. In addition to hydrogen, and floating offshore wind there are synergies with the oil and gas industry particularly in mooring supply, platform assembly and onshore and offshore processing.

How established is Dolphyn’s supply chain?

For the single demonstrator scale project we are able to tap into existing capabilities from other industries, particularly oil and gas. However, as we scale up we will need to work with suppliers to enable larger project to be built in the future.

Who are the customers for hydrogen from Dolphyn?

We’ve had really good engagement from a range of different customers including gas networks, heavy industry and heavy goods vehicles, amongst others.

How is Dolphyn overcoming its key challenges?

Dolphyn continues to work collaboratively with stakeholders, including governments and regulators, to identify a safe, appropriate and environmentally sensitive practice to secure hydrogen consent. In Addition, Dolphyn has benefitted from 5 years of development involving specialist expertise from both the renewable energy and oil and gas industry sectors.

What benefits does Dolphyn provide in decarbonisation innovation?

Dolphyn is a flagship project and through scalability it will provide meaningful contributions to the UK’s hydrogen ambitions.

How much electricity does it take to produce the hydrogen?

Electricity is generated by the turbine, powering the hydrogen production equipment. The hydrogen is then taken back to shore via pipeline.

How can I get involved in Dolphyn?

We are always pleased to hear from those that are interested and supportive of our ambitions and vision for Dolphyn. If you’re interested in a career in hydrogen or sustainability and want to be a part of this exciting innovation journey, please get in touch.

We are grateful for the support and funding provided to date by UK Government, Scottish Government and Welsh government which has made our rapid progress possible.
Dolphyn is made possible by the specialist support and technical excellence of our colleagues