A consortium of energy leaders, including Ørsted, ITM Power, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Element Energy has secured €5 million (£4.5m) grant for an offshore hydrogen production project.

The OYSTER project, which is planned to start in 2021 and run until the end of 2024, aims to explore the potential of hydrogen production from offshore wind at a cost that is competitive with natural gas.

The consortium will develop and test an MW-scale electrolyser, which will be connected to an offshore wind turbine.

ITM Power will be responsible for the development of the electrolyser system and the electrolyser trials, while Ørsted will lead the offshore deployment analysis.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and Element Energy will provide technical and project expertise.

The funding of the project was awarded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership of the European Commission.

Anders Christian Nordstrøm, Vice President and Head of Ørsted’s Hydrogen Activities, said: “To create a world that runs entirely on green energy, we need to electrify as much as we can. However, some sectors cannot decarbonise through electrification and that’s where renewable hydrogen could play a significant role.

“Offshore hydrogen production could be a future, supplemental way of getting large amounts of energy generated from offshore wind power to shore.”