Back in December 2020, when Recharge first published a list of the world's gigawatt-scale projects, there were 13 adding up to 50GW, out of a global pipeline of 80GW.
But this is a fast-moving sector, with new projects being announced on an almost daily basis. Now, six months later, the gigawatt-scale pipeline alone adds up to about 260GW across 26 projects.
And this list will undoubtedly grow in the coming weeks and months as more companies seek to get an early foot in the door of what is expected to be an enormous and potentially lucrative new sector. Let's not forget that despite the massive potential for green hydrogen to decarbonise transport, heating and heavy industry, this is still a nascent sector — the largest electrolyser currently in operation is only 20MW.
The thinking behind leaping from megawatt-scale to gigawatt-scale is that the future demand for green H2 will be gigantic, and that costs can be quickly driven down through economies of scale, with a view to making renewable hydrogen cheaper than highly polluting grey (produced from unabated natural gas or coal) by 2030.
After all, roughly 70 million tonnes of grey hydrogen is produced each year, largely for use in ammonia fertiliser production and oil refining, emitting about 830 million tonnes of CO2 annually — the equivalent of the combined emissions of the UK and Indonesia. And grey hydrogen is currently two to six times cheaper than green.
So here are the world’s 24 biggest green-hydrogen projects now under development. Of course, whether all these projects ever get built is another matter.
1) HyDeal Ambition (67GW)
Location: Multiple sites across Western Europe, starting in Spain and southwest France, then extending to eastern France and Germany
Power source: 95GW of solar across multiple locations to power 67GW of electrolysers
Developers: A group of 30 energy players, including gas distributors Snam, Enagás and OGE; electrolyser maker McPhy; EPC provider Vinci Construction; and solar developers Falck Renewables and Qair.
Planned use of H2: To deliver green hydrogen across Europe at €1.50/kg before 2030 (ie, to be cheaper than unabated grey hydrogen)
H2 output: 3.6 million tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: Before 2030
Expected cost: Not stated
Stage of development: Early stage, project was announced in February 2021, although a "first initiative [is] expected within a year in Spain, based on a portfolio of solar sites with a capacity close to 10GW", according to McPhy.
2) Kazakhstan (unnamed) 30GW
Location: Steppes of western and central Kazakhstan
Power source: 45GW of wind and solar
Developers: German developer Svevind Energy and Kazakhstan's investment promotion agency
Planned use of H2: For export or local use
H2 output: About three million tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: Not stated, but with a final investment decision between 2024 and 2027
Expected cost: Not stated.
Stage of development: Very early stage, memorandum of understanding signed in late June 2021.
3) Western Green Energy Hub (28GW)
Location: Southeast Western Australia
Power source: 50GW of wind and solar
Developer: A consortium including InterContinental Energy and CWP Global
Planned use of H2: Multiple sectors, to be sold in domestic and export markets
H2 output: Up to 3.5 million tonnes per year (or 20 million tonnes of green ammonia)
Planned date of completion: Not stated, but a final investment decision is expected after 2028.
Expected cost: $70bn
Stage of development: Very early stage; it has received a licence from the Western Australia government to collect data for feasibility studies.
4) Aman (about 16-20GW*)
Location: Northern Mauritania
Power source: 30GW of wind and solar
Developer: CWP Global
Planned use of H2: Green steel, long-distance shipping, decarbonising ammonia fertiliser nationally and internationally
H2 output: Not stated
Planned date of completion: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Stage of development: Very early stage, memorandum of understanding between CWP and the Mauritanian government signed in June 2021.
5=) Oman (unnamed) (14GW)
Location: Oman
Power source: 25GW of wind and solar (with turbines making up two thirds of the capacity) to power 14GW of electrolysers
Developers: InterContinental Energy, Omani oil & company OQ, and Kuwaiti state-owned tech company EnerTech
Planned use of H2: For sale on international markets
H2 output: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2038, with about a third of the full capacity up and running in 2028
Expected cost: Not stated, but the first phase (accounting for about one third of the full capacity) would cost about $10bn, the consortium tells Recharge
Stage of development: Project was announced on 17 May 2021, but partners had been collaborating on it for "more than three years"
5=) Asian Renewable Energy Hub (14GW)
Location: Pilbara, Western Australia
Power source: 16GW of onshore wind and 10GW of solar to power 14GW of electrolysers
Developers: InterContinental Energy, CWP Energy Asia, Vestas, Macquarie
Planned use of H2: Green hydrogen and green ammonia for export to Asia
H2 output: 1.75 million tonnes per year (which would produce 9.9 million tonnes of green ammonia)
Planned date of completion: 2027-28
Expected cost: $36bn
Stage of development: Federal government awarded AREH “major project status”to help it be fast-tracked through permitting, but in June, environment minister Sussan Ley said the plan was "clearly unacceptable" given potential impacts on migratory birds and wetlands in Western Australia. The AREH consortium responded to the assessment by saying it would engage with the minister and her department "as we continue to work on the detailed design and engineering aspects of the project".
7=) NortH2 (at least 10GW)
Location: Eemshaven, northern Netherlands
Power source: Offshore wind
Developers: Shell, Equinor, RWE, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports
Planned use of H2: To help power heavy industry in the Netherlands and Germany
H2 output: One million tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: 2040 (1GW by 2027, 4GW by 2030)
Expected cost: Not stated
Stage of development: Feasibility study under way, to be completed by July 2021
7=) AquaVentus (10GW)
Location: Heligoland, Germany
Power source: Offshore wind
Developers: A consortium of 47 companies, research institutions and organisations, including RWE, Vattenfall, Shell, E.ON, Siemens Energy, Siemens Gamesa, Vestas, Northland Power, Gasunie and Parkwind
Planned use of H2: General sale via a European hydrogen network
H2 output: One million tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: 2035 (30MW by 2025, 5GW by 2030)
Expected cost: Not stated
Stage of development: Early stage, project was only announced in August
9) HyEnergy Zero Carbon Hydrogen (8GW)
Location: The Gascoyne region of Western Australia
Power source: Wind and solar
Developer: Province Resources
Planned use of H2: Green hydrogen and ammonia "for heavy transport and industry", and potentially for blending into a local natural-gas pipeline. And later on, for export to Asian markets
H2 output: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2030
Stage of development: Early stage, project announced in February 2021
10=) Murchison Renewable Hydrogen Project (5GW)
Location: near Kalbarri, Western Australia
Power source: Onshore wind and solar
Developers: Hydrogen Renewables Australia and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Planned use of H2: A demonstration phase would provide H2 for transport fuels; an expansion stage would produce H2 to blend into local natural-gas pipelines; and a final, large expansion would produce H2 for export to Asia, with a focus on Japan and South Korea
H2 output: not stated
Planned date of completion: 2028
Expected cost: $10-12bn
Stage of development: Early stage
10=) Beijing Jingneng Inner Mongolia (5GW)
Location: Eqianqi, Inner Mongolia, China
Power source: Onshore wind and solar
Developer: Chinese utility Beijing Jingneng
Planned use of H2: Not known
H2 output: 400,000-500,000 tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: 2021
Expected cost: $3bn
Stage of development: Due to be under construction this year, but not confirmed
12) Helios Green Fuels Project (4GW)
Location: Neom, a planned city in northwest Saudi Arabia
Power source: Onshore wind and solar
Developers: Air Products, ACWA Power, Neom
Planned use of H2: To produce green ammonia (NH4), which would be transported around the world and converted back into H2 for use as a transport fuel.
H2 output: About 240,000 tonnes per year (to create 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia annually)
Planned date of completion: Not stated, but first ammonia production due in 2025
Expected cost: $5bn
Stage of development: Early stage, project was announced in July 2020
13) Pacific Solar Hydrogen (3.6GW)
Location: Callide, Queensland, Australia
Power source: Solar
Developer: Austrom Hydrogen, a start-up
Planned use of H2: Export to Japan and South Korea
H2 output: More than 200,000 tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Stage of development: Early stage, project was announced in June 2020
14) Base One (3.4GW)
Location: Pecém, Ceará state, northeast Brazil
Power source: "Combined baseload wind and solar power"
Developer: Enegix Energy, in conjunction with Italian wind turbine maker Enerwind, EPC provider Black & Veatch, and the Ceará state government
Planned use of H2: Green hydrogen for "major international markets via ocean freight"
H2 output: 600,000 tonnes per year
Planned date of completion: 2025
Expected cost: $5.4bn
Stage of development: Project was announced on 1 March, but Enegix says it has "contracted" the 3.4GW of solar and wind capacity through its partnership with Enerwind
15) Southwest Ireland (unnamed) (3.2GW)
Location: Bantry Bay, southwest Ireland
Power source: Offshore wind
Developers: Cork-based EI-H2 and US oil & gas company Zenith Energy
Planned use of H2: Not stated
H2 output: Not stated, but a 500MW green ammonia facility is planned
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2028
Stage of development: Very early, a feasibility study is under way.
16) H2-Hub Gladstone (3GW)
Location: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
Power source: Renewable energy, but not otherwise specified
Developer: The Hydrogen Utility (also known as H2U)
Planned use of H2: Green ammonia for export to Japan and other countries
H2 output: Not stated, but developer says it would produce “up to 5,000 tonnes of green ammonia per day”
Expected cost: $1.6bn (not including sources of power)
Planned date of completion: Not stated, but initial operations due to begin in 2025
Stage of development: Feasibility study under way, targeting approvals by 2023
17=) Yellow Sea (2GW)
Location: Qingdao, Shandong province, China
Power source: Floating wind
Developers: Qingdao Blue Valley Industrial Development Zone, Shandong Zhongneng Integration Offshore Wind Turbine Manufacturing Corp (an affiliate of Fujian-based vertical-axis wind turbine maker Tonex) and PowerChina’s North West Engineering Institute
Planned use of H2: Not stated
H2 output: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: Not stated
Stage of development: Very early — the only concrete development so far seems to be a signed co-operation contract between the three co-developers
17=) Green Hydrogen & Chemicals, Oman (about 2GW)
Location: Port of Duqm, Oman
Power source: About 3.5GW of wind and solar
Developer: India's ACME Group
Planned use of H2: Production of green ammonia
H2 output: About 146,000 tonnes per year
Expected cost: About $3.3bn
Planned date of completion: By the fourth quarter of 2024. Phase one for 300 tonnes of green ammonia per day by Q4 2022.
Stage of development: ACME says it is "under active development stage and working towards achieving its timelines of commissioning.
19) HyEx (1.6GW)
Location: Antofagasta, Chile
Power source: Solar
Developers: Engie and Enaex
Planned use of H2: Green ammonia, half of which will be used at Enaex’s ammonium nitrate plant; the remainder will be targeted for fuel, green fertiliser and export markets.
H2 output: 124,000 tonnes per year (700,000 tonnes of green ammonia)
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2030 (26MW pilot by 2024)
Stage of development: Early stage, project was announced in October 2020
20=) White Dragon (1.5GW)
Location: Region of West Macedonia, northern Greece
Power source: Solar
Developers: A plethora of Greek companies: government-controlled electricity company Public Power Corporation, state-owned gas utility DEPA (the project co-ordinator), gas grid operator DESFA, oil company Hellenic Petroleum, refiner and petrol marketer Motor Oil, steel pipe manufacturer Corinth Pipeworks, long-distance gas pipeline operator TAP, renewables developer Terna Energy, fuel-cell maker Advent Technologies and power plant builder Damco Energy
Planned use of H2: Baseload power generation via fuel cells (to replace existing lignite power plants), with waste heat potentially used for district heating or by heavy industry. The project also includes the planned construction of a hydrogen pipeline to deliver H2 to the transport sector, heavy industry and possibly for export
H2 output: About 250,000 tonnes per year for power generation, with 58,000-71,000 tonnes for other sectors
Expected cost: €8bn ($9.7bn)
Planned date of completion: 2029
Stage of development: Plan submitted to the Greek government and the European Commission with a view to it becoming an Important Project of Common European Interest, which would it give it access to public funds
20=) Geraldton (1.5GW)
Location: Geraldton, Western Australia
Power source: Onshore wind and solar
Developer: BP/BP Lightsource
Planned use of H2: Production of green ammonia for domestic and export markets
H2 output: Not stated, but about one million tonnes of green ammonia per year
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: Not stated
Stage of development: Feasibility study under way
22) HNH (1.4GW)
Location: Southern Chile
Power source: 1.8-2GW of onshore wind to power 1.4GW of electrolysers connected to a Haber-Bosch system for ammonia production
Developers: AustriaEnergy and Ökowind EE
Planned use of H2: Green ammonia for export via a new international port (which is part of the project)
H2 output: 850,000 to one million tonnes of green ammonia per year
Expected cost: $3bn
Planned date of completion: 2026
Stage of development: Wind measurements are under way, topography studies have been done and work on enviromental licence application and wind farm design have begun
23) Greater Copenhagen (1.3GW)
Location: Greater Copenhagen area, Denmark
Power source: Offshore wind preferred
Developers: Orsted, Maersk, DSV Panalpina, DFDS, SAS
Planned use of H2: Hydrogen for buses and trucks, e-fuel (derived from green hydrogen and captured CO2) for shipping and aviation
H2 output: Not stated, but it would produce “250,000 tonnes of sustainable fuel” per year.
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2030 (10MW pilot as soon as 2023, 250MW by 2027)
Stage of development: Feasibility study under way, with a view to a final investment decision in 2021
24=) SeaH2Land (1GW)
Location: Industrial clusters near North Sea ports in the Netherlands and Belgium
Power source: A 2GW offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea powering 1GW of electrolysers
Developers: Orsted, in conjunction with ArcelorMittal, Yara, Dow Benelux and Zeeland Refinery
Planned use of H2: For use at industrial clusters for the production of steel, ammonia, ethylene and transport fuel
H2 output: Not stated, but the industrial clusters currently consume 580,000 tonnes of grey hydrogen annually
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: 2030
Stage of development: Early stage, project was announced at the end of March 2021
24=) Esbjerg (1GW)
Location: Esbjerg, Denmark
Power source: Offshore wind
Developer: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners,in conjunction with shipping giants Moller-Maersk and DFDS, and food companies Arla, Danish Crown and DLG
Planned use of H2: Green ammonia for fertiliser production and as a shipping fuel.
H2 output: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: Between 2025 and 2027
Stage of development: Early stage, announced in February 2021
24=) H2 Sines (1GW)
Location: Sines, southwest Portugal
Power source: Undecided, but likely to be onshore wind and solar
Developers: EDP, Galp, Martifer, REN, Vestas
Planned use of H2: Domestic consumption and export
H2 output: Not stated
Expected cost: €1.5bn ($1.84bn)
Planned date of completion: 2030
Stage of development: Feasibility study under way
24=) Rostock (1GW)
Location: Rostock, Germany
Power source: Offshore wind and other renewable sources
Developer: Consortium led by RWE
Planned use of H2: All avenues being explored
H2 output: Not stated
Expected cost: Not stated
Planned date of completion: Not stated
Stage of development: Very early stage
* The developer of the Aman project has not stated the electrolyser capacity, only that it would be powered by 30GW of wind and solar. Recharge is trying to get an exact figure from the developer, but in the meantime has extrapolated an expected size of the project through a comparison with similar-sized schemes.