ABS, KSOE Plan New Study on Floating H2 Production off Korea

PUBLISHED MAY 10, 2023 10:33 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

ABS and KSOE have announced a new study on the possibility of installing a near-shore floating platform for wind-powered hydrogen production off the coast of South Korea. The project builds on the expertise that the two firms developed through the design and approval of a floating hydrogen production platform last year.

Working together with specialty gas company Linde and the Korea Institute of Energy (Kentech), ABS and KSOE (an HD Hyundai subsidiary) will prepare a feasilibility study on developing a green hydrogen production and liquification facility at a near-shore floating platform utilizing offshore windpower. The study will be part of a broader report compiled by Korea's Jeolla Province on floating hydrogen production. 

KSOE's design for an offshore green hydrogen production platform received an ABS AIP in 2022. It offers several options for the end-user, including hydrogen liquefaction, ammonia and methanol conversion for export. 

"HD Hyundai Group is pleased to contribute to the development of the green hydrogen production platform through this MOU, utilizing our many years of experience with offshore platform technologies and liquefied gas carriers," said Sungjoon Kim, HD Hyundai Group Chief Technology Officer. 

South Korea's government is enthusiastic about the prospect of developing green hydrogen production at scale as a way to increase domestic energy self-sufficiency, and it is investing billions in a future hydrogen-based economy. So are Korea's chaebols, which together have committed to investing $38 billion in hydrogen-related development. 

In November 2022, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced a new national plan for a low-carbon hydrogen supply chain and hydrogen energy industrial base in Korea. The plan calls for 30,000 hydrogen-fueled commercial vehicles on the road by 2030 and a seven percent-hydrogen energy mix by 2036. 

“The South Korean government is very engaged with the private sector, openly accepting feedback on policies and pro-market measures [for hydrogen],” said Joohyun Baik, Senior Manager in Commodities and Global Markets at Macquarie, in an analysis last year. “Other governments might learn from this approach.”

China Commissioning First Deep-Sea Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Floating 7.25 MW wind turbine will be deployed in deep, ocean sea conditions (CNOOC)

PUBLISHED MAY 9, 2023 6:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

China reports it has completed the installation of its first floating, deep-sea, wind turbine which will be used to power an offshore oil field. Developed and owned by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the wind turbine is being reported as a breakthrough due to its ability to handle harsh sea conditions in deep and open seas. CNOOC reports it will be a model for opening up the far offshore wind sector.

The turbine, known as CNOOC Guanlan, was completed in March. It was built in the Zhuhai region and on March 26 departed for placement at the Wenchang Oilfield, which consists of oil and gas platforms.

The wind turbine is reported to weigh over 11,000 tons with its foundation and was positioned nearly 85 miles offshore. It is floating in a position with a water depth of more than 325 feet. The overall height of the structure stands more than 650 feet. The Chinese engineer placed the turbine atop a triangular floating foundation with three side columns and one center post to hold the wind turbine. The ballast system weighs 4,000 tons. 

Last week, CNOOC reported that the placement of the dynamic submarine cable measuring over three miles in length had been completed. They report the cable was designed to withstand conditions up to nearly a depth of 400 feet. It is composed of three 35 kV cables and three 12-core fiber optic cables. Dynamic ship positioning technology and monitoring by underwater robots were used to improve the installation accuracy. 

With the 7.25 MW turbine now in position, and the subsea cable installed, CNOOC reports the final commission will proceed. Once the turbine is generating power. They expect it will have an annual generation capacity of 22 million kilowatt hours.

Long Beach Releases Concept Study for Largest Offshore Wind Port

Port Wind would be the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines (Port of Long Beach)

PUBLISHED MAY 9, 2023 3:18 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The Port of Long Beach released its First Conceptual Report for its vision to develop a wind port that would serve California’s emerging offshore wind energy industry. First revealed in the January 2023 State of the Port presentation, the concept is to create a 400-acre terminal known as Port Wind within the port that could be used for the manufacture, assembly, staging, and possibly the maintenance of offshore wind turbines.

The Port of Long Beach reports it is investing $1 million to develop a conceptual design and constructability assessment for the proposed Port Wind as it seeks to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the new industry. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted the first ever California offshore wind lease auction in December 2022 as it looks to open the region to development, but cautioned that extensive infrastructure also needs to be developed to support the industry. BOEM performed a study to assess California ports and it indicated that there are limited existing ports that could host staging and integration operations.

The offshore wind industry in California will be confronted with challenging conditions. Unlike the U.S. East Coast, the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf is characterized by rapidly increasing water depths that exceed the limits of traditional fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines. It is anticipated that most of the development of offshore wind will use the more suitable floating wind technology, which currently calls for the assembly of the wind turbines on their foundations in a sheltered port and towing them to their location. BOEM in its report highlights the air height requirements, possibly as much as 1,100 feet, saying most existing ports do not have the needed clearances.

“Imagine fully assembled wind turbines capable of generating 20 megawatts of energy towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to offshore wind farms in Central and Northern California,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “As society transitions to clean energy, our harbor is ideally located for such an enterprise – with calm seas behind a federal breakwater, one of the deepest and widest channels in the U.S., direct access to the open ocean, and no air height restrictions. No other location has the space to achieve the economies of scale needed to drive down the cost of energy for these huge turbines.”

In its concept study report, the port highlights the emerging opportunities noting that the Biden administration announced a goal for 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035. The California Energy Commission established its preliminary target of 2 to 5 GW by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045, while the governor has called for at least 20 GW by 2045 and directed state agencies to develop a strategic plan for offshore wind development.

Port Wind at Long Beach would be located in the Outer Harbor, just south of the Navy Mole and near the western border with the Port of Los Angeles on newly created land. Critically, this places it outside the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge meaning there would be no height limitations. Among the port improvements necessary to support the plan would be a deepening and widening of the main channel and the construction of approach channel and turning basin in addition to the landfill adjacent to Pier 400 in the Port of Los Angeles.

According to the concept study, Port Wind would be the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines. The terminal would have the capability for heavy-lift crane operations to stage, store, and construct floating wind turbines. The concept calls for a flexible design so that it could host operations ranging from staging and integration to foundation fabrication, component manufacturing, maintenance, and support.

The port’s newly released concept study provides information to continue planning and discussion with state and federal officials, developers, and funders for the $4.7 billion project. Construction could potentially start in January 2027, with the first 100 acres operational in early 2031, the second 100 acres operational in late 2031, and the additional 200 acres coming online in 2035.