DEME has joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, supporting the EU’s ambitious hydrogen and decarbonisation strategy. With this membership DEME underlines its commitment to use its expertise for the production, transport and storage of green hydrogen from renewable energy sources.
In July 2020, the European Commission announced the EU Hydrogen Strategy and the launch of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance. By establishing the Alliance, the EU aims to strengthen its global leadership position in the rapidly developing hydrogen domain, which will in turn help it to realise its carbon neutrality goals by 2050.
The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which brings together more than 200 industry, national and local public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders, aims to initiate an investment agenda and support the scaling up of the hydrogen value chain across Europe.
Luc Vandenbulcke, CEO DEME Group, comments: “As a pioneer in the development, construction and financing of offshore wind farms, we want to make full use of our long-standing expertise for the production, transport and storage of green hydrogen from renewable energy sources. We look forward to bringing our knowledge and experience to the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance and actively supporting the EU in its drive to see Europe become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. This initiative also fits perfectly with our own sustainability goals.”
DEME has already recognised the vast potential of this sector and has entered into several green hydrogen partnerships internationally to ensure the company is at the forefront of developments. In November 2019 DEME signed a cooperation agreement with six other leading industry players in Belgium for the transport of green hydrogen, and this year, also entered into exclusive partnerships to develop industrial scale green hydrogen plants in Belgium (Hyport® Ostend) and in Oman (Hyport® Duqm). Meanwhile in the Netherlands, DEME joined forces with Neptune Energy for the PosHYdon offshore hydrogen pilot, where the company will beinvolved in the conceptual design of a 100 MW offshore hydrogen production plant.
“The combination of renewable energy with green hydrogen and the exciting potential it represents is fully in line with DEME’s innovation vision, which includes plans to invest in the development and large-scale production, storage and delivery of green hydrogen,” Luc Vandenbulcke emphasises.