BUBBLES

Offshore hydrogen production offers a promising way to convert offshore wind energy directly into renewable hydrogen at sea. BUBBLES supports the development of reliable offshore electrolyser technologies by addressing challenges related to harsh marine environments, remote operation, and system reliability.

Target Audience

The project is primarily relevant for:

• Industrial hydrogen producers and future hydrogen off-takers

• Providers of offshore energy technologies

• Hydrogen system integrators

• Partners across the hydrogen ecosystem

• Offshore wind farm developers, asset owners, and other project stakeholders

The project's results may also support other technologies intended for operation in remote and offshore environments.

Context

The European Green Deal aims to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050, with an intermediate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. Renewable hydrogen is a key pillar of the REPowerEU plan, which targets the production of 20 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030.

At the same time, offshore wind capacity—particularly in the North Sea—is expected to increase significantly due to its high energy yield and strong capacity factors. As offshore wind farms are developed further from shore, however, transmitting electricity back to land becomes increasingly complex and costly.

Producing hydrogen offshore provides an alternative that can improve the flexibility and efficiency of the energy system. However, offshore electrolyser systems must operate reliably under harsh marine conditions while dynamically adapting to fluctuating wind power generation. Challenges related to maintenance, remote operation, qualification, and overall system reliability currently limit large-scale deployment.

Objectives & Expected Results

BUBBLES aims to prepare and validate electrolyser technologies for reliable offshore hydrogen production.

The project will:

• Develop and optimise offshore electrolyser concepts, with a focus on cell stacks and balance-of-plant systems

• Investigate methods to reduce maintenance requirements for offshore electrolysers

• Enable reliable remote operation with minimal or no human intervention

• Perform technical simulations of offshore operating conditions

• Define qualification procedures and testing plans for offshore electrolyser technologies

Key expected results

• Qualification procedures and testing plans for validating offshore electrolyser systems

• Technical simulation results assessing offshore performance and operational risks

• A state-of-the-art review of relevant patents and existing technologies

• Insights into strategies for reducing maintenance requirements of offshore systems

• Recommendations for reliable remote operation of offshore electrolysers

Approach

The project is organised around four main workstreams.

1. State-of-the-Art Review and IP Analysis

• Analysis of existing technologies and patents related to offshore electrolyser deployment

• Identification of technological gaps and innovation opportunities

2. Design and Simulation

• Technical simulations and design studies for offshore operating conditions

• Evaluation of system performance, reliability, and operational constraints

3. Operations and Maintenance

• Development of approaches to reduce maintenance requirements

• Investigation of reliable remote operation strategies without on-site intervention

4. Qualification and Testing

• Definition of qualification procedures and testing methodologies

• Preparation for future prototype validation and offshore deployment

Interested in Offshore Hydrogen Production Technologies?

Get in touch with our expert to discuss challenges related to offshore electrolysers, hydrogen production systems, and future offshore energy applications.

Contact Florian Fettweis

Funding

• Funding authority: Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy

• Funding programme: Energy Transition Fund

• Total project budget: €2,057,381

• Funding rate: 68.7% (€1,412,972)