HyOne – Nature-inclusive opportunities for hydrogen network in the North Sea
HyOne – Nature-inclusive opportunities for hydrogen network in the North Sea
Gasunie is using the HyOne project to prepare for the installation of a large-scale hydrogen network in the North Sea. This network will be an important part of the energy transition and will help to improve the sustainability of the Dutch energy sector. Gasunie wants to realise this while minimising impact on the environment and making a positive contribution to nature wherever possible. Witteveen+Bos was asked to examine which nature-inclusive measures can be implemented.
Uncharted territory offshore hydrogen production
The biggest challenge was the innovative nature of offshore hydrogen production: very little is currently known about the ecological consequences. To ensure effective measures, with minimum environmental impact and maximum ecological value, research must be carried out to identify the expected impact on the environment. This required close collaboration between ecologists and engineers, where knowledge from a variety of disciplines was incorporated to make well-founded decisions.
More than just legal requirements
The study explicitly focussed on measures that go further than just the legal requirements, while paying attention to preventing negative effects and creating new opportunities for the development of nature. An overview of the most promising measures was compiled by combining analyses of the current ecological systems in the North Sea with the expected environmental effects of offshore hydrogen production.
This study has allowed Witteveen+Bos to make an important contribution to Gasunie's ambition of developing the HyOne project in a nature-inclusive manner. Energy infrastructure that is not only sustainable but also creates added ecological value for the North Sea.
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