Dolphyn Hydrogen is advancing the accelerated production of low carbon hydrogen for South Wales and the Celtic Sea region

Dolphyn Hydrogen is providing a key role in delivering the £2.1m Milford Haven: Hydrogen Kingdom (MH:HK) project. This comes following a successful bid to secure £877k of funding from Innovate UK’s Launchpad: net zero industry, Southwest Wales program. Co-funding for MH:HKproject has also been provided through Pembroke Dock Marine, a Swansea Bay City Deal project.

The project will provide a credible outline for connecting offshore hydrogen generation with onshore hydrogen distribution, by harnessing the Dolphyn Hydrogen’s innovative technology at a site within the Celtic Sea, known as the Pembrokeshire Demonstration Zone (PDZ). PDZ is a 90 km² area off the south coast of Pembrokeshire, currently designated for wave and tidal test and demonstration activity and managed by Celtic Sea Power.

The MH:HKproject will aim to update the existing scoping for the PDZ to include green hydrogen production from Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW), with pipeline connection to shore, and onwards to off takers.

The project will incorporate Dolphyn Hydrogen’s innovative technology to provide credible engineering-backed evidence for offshore hydrogen production, which would be used to support future hydrogen development and investment in the region and beyond. It will also assess the potential role that hydrogen could play in providing an alternative route to market for the energy generated by co-existing wave and tidal test and demonstration technologies, which could enhance and encourage further commercial development and investment for these technologies

There is now broad consensus that both renewable electricity and low carbon hydrogen are required to achieve net zero targets. FLOW provides a significant opportunity to achieve the scale of generation needed, including within the Celtic Sea region, but to date the emphasis has been on electricity generation alone. The Dolphyn Technology provides an opportunity to extend FLOW’s potential into offshore hydrogen generation, taking advantage of the fact that it is generally cheaper to transport hydrogen rather than electricity ashore, especially over long distances. Hydrogen also has the advantage of not being subject to electricity grid constraints, which are often a major barrier to electrical FLOW projects.

With the program proposed for MH:HK and the subsequent rollout of Dolphyn, we can not only de-risk the generation of hydrogen, but also secure a pre-2030 supply of green hydrogen at scale for early industrial off-takers, as well as providing a source of hydrogen to feed into Hyline Cymru. This will set the platform for further expansion, and for working with other developers who might wish to capitalize on advantages brought by Dolphyn Hydrogen’s technology.

The project is being delivered in partnership with Celtic Sea Power, ORE Catapult and Wales and West Utilities. Through their Hyline Cymru project, Wales and West Utilities are leading plans for a hydrogen pipeline in South Wales to accelerate the decarbonization of industry and gas customers in the region. The proposed HyLine pipeline will stretch from Pembrokeshire to the Swansea Bay area, with Dolphyn providing supply of hydrogen from the Celtic Sea region.

Steve Matthews, CEO for Dolphyn Hydrogen stated “Low Carbon Hydrogen will provide a critical part of the future energy mix in Wales and the UK, enhancing energy security and enabling our net zero ambitions to be realized. The Milford Haven Hydrogen Kingdom project provides a pivotal step forward for Dolphyn Hydrogen, our project partners, and the hydrogen industry more generally, in demonstrating a viable pathway for producing affordable hydrogen at scale from offshore floating wind. We are delighted to be part of a team that is dedicated to creating a better future for all.”