Our Hydrogen Production Trials
Dolphyn is a world leading patented process technology. It uniquely builds on the most advanced technologies from the floating offshore wind and hydrogen sectors.
Dolphyn Hydrogen Production Trials
A UK First for Offshore Hydrogen Production
Through March and April 2024, Dolphyn Hydrogen will be undertaking sea trials for our offshore Hydrogen Production Technology in Milford Haven, South Wales. This will be a first for the UK’s emerging hydrogen energy sector.
The trials are a critical step on our journey towards commercial production, and we aim to demonstrate that offshore production hydrogen from seawater can be done safely and reliably.
The learnings and performance data gathered will be used to inform the future design of full-scale Dolphyn units, which will be deployed at multiple locations over the next few years.
Where are the Trials taking place?
The trial facility will be moored at the testing location in the pre-consented Marine Energy Test Area (META) site, near Pembroke Port and operated by Marine Energy Wales. The test rig includes all systems required for the safe and remote operation of the trial including water treatment/storage, electrolysis, power generation, control systems, hydrogen metering, and vent systems.
What is the purpose
of the trials?
The trials are testing key areas of the hydrogen production process in floating conditions including monitoring the behaviors of the desalination and electrolyser equipment processes. The trials will look at the impacts of operating the system under variable power conditions as would be experienced when coupled with a wind turbine.
Key areas being tested include:
- Understanding the impact of sea state and environmental conditions on operation and performance.
- Analysis of performance under variable load operation, for example in response to variable available power from a wind turbine.
- Performance of the system in response to changing simulated demand.
- Impact of variable water quality on the performance of the electrolyser (if possible).
This will provide learning and performance data in real life conditions. It is an opportunity to oversee the operation of an end-to-end hydrogen production system from seawater intake, through desalination and PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolysis in a floating offshore environment.
What equipment is being tested?
The trial system and all equipment has been developed in 20ft ISO containers for efficient transportation and installation. The test facility contains all the equipment for water intake, desalination and electrolysis. It includes all systems required for the safe operation of the trials including water treatment/storage, electrolysis, power generation, control systems, hydrogen metering, and vent systems.
The process:
- Via a filter, Sea water is taken up and filtered to remove suspended contaminants.
- In the desalination unit, Sea water is cleaned through a combination of filtration, reverse osmosis, and deionisation.
- Through electrolysis, the highly purified water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity provided by the generator.
- The chiller is required to maintain the electrolyser at the correct operating temperature.
Power input: The trial is powered by a generator using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel.
Safety is front and centre for everything we do at Dolphyn Hydrogen, and the trials are no exception to this. The test facility includes all systems required for the safe operation of the trials including water treatment/ storage, electrolysis, power generation, control systems, hydrogen metering and vent systems as well as the general safety equipment one would expect to see when operating such a facility offshore.
Collecting key data allows improved performance modelling to be made for commercial scale Dolphyn units.
How are you collecting data?
The trials will collect a large amount of data including environmental and physical data. We have been working with the EmissionsAI team to produce a full digital twin, using deep engineering and advanced analytics to capture real-time performance data collected from the trial unit, and assess optimisation opportunities.
The digital twin is collecting real-time data from the barge and is hosted from our live dashboard.
How can I find out more?
We are keen that everyone gets an opportunity to learn more about hydrogen and how it can be generated and used safely.
These trials are a first step in Dolphyn’s plans to deploy large scale green hydrogen from floating offshore wind in Wales, the UK and further afield. We know there is no Net Zero without green hydrogen.
We are working closely with a range of organisations including government, educational institutions, our local and regional supply chain and industry bodies to have interested stakeholders visit us during our trial period.
Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more or want to get involved.
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