Belgian consortium Hyoffwind has signed an agreement with John Cockerill and BESIX to design and build a green hydrogen production unit in Zeebrugge.
The Hyoffwind project is being developed by a consortium active across the entire energy value chain. The consortium, consisting of Virya Energy and Fluxys, aims to develop a power-to-gas facility that can convert renewable electricity into green hydrogen.
Hyoffwind will also contribute to the flexibility and balance of the energy system by providing an effective solution for the increased variability created as a result of renewable electricity production.
The first phase of the planned project will consist of a facility that can convert 25 MW of electricity into green hydrogen, but the partners aim to scale this up to 100 MW in the second phase.
The permit application process started in late 2021 and the consortium expects to receive a permit by mid-2022. The final investment decision, which is also subject to the granting of subsidies by the Flemish government under the recovery plan, will be made in the course of 2022.
In 2020 the Flemish government awarded €8 million in strategic ecological aid to Hyoffwind. In addition, Minister Crevits will provide another €23 million under the Flemish recovery plan via the European call for IPCEIs, whose first series of projects must now be approved by the European Commission.
Hyoffwind is one of the projects that Flanders has submitted in connection with the European call for hydrogen IPCEIs. We aim to become a frontrunner in sustainable hydrogen. In other words, it is positive that the consortium has taken the next steps towards the first green hydrogen production unit in the port of Zeebrugge
stated Flemish Minister for Economy and Innovation Hilde Crevits.
