Renewable hydrogen on the rise 

ABB, a global player in electrification and automation, is collaborating with Lhyfe, a pioneer in the production of renewable hydrogen, and Skyborn, a global leader in renewable energy, to jointly realise and optimise one of Europe’s most ambitious renewable hydrogen projects ever: SoutH2Port. 

The project will be located close to Skyborn’s one-gigawatt offshore wind farm Storgrundet in Söderhamn, Sweden, where Skyborn and Lhyfe recently entered into a sales purchase agreement with Stora Enso for an industrial property of around 40 hectares. Fully operational, SoutH2port is expected to produce more than 200 tonnes of hydrogen per day, with an installed capacity of 600MW, making it one of the largest suppliers of renewable hydrogen in Europe. 

“This collaboration is a key part of our strategy in both the hydrogen and offshore wind markets,” says Brandon Spencer, president of ABB Energy Industries. “Creating a seamless supply chain, through partnerships such as these, is essential to accelerate the energy transition. Hydrogen plays a crucial role in helping to achieve the world’s climate goals when it comes to decarbonising the industrial and transportation sectors.”

The new plant will support the decarbonisation of the Swedish energy system, either directly with hydrogen supply or by further downstream production of refined fuels such as methanol, sustainable aviation fuel or ammonia – contributing to the government’s plans to become the world’s first fossil-free welfare country by 2045. SoutH2port will also further contribute to boosting the attractiveness and competitiveness of the region and local society through the creation of new jobs and business opportunities.

“By combining our expertise and solutions, we can cost-effectively and safely expand the value creation attached to the scale-up of renewable hydrogen production,” says Taia Kronborg, co-founder and chief business officer at Lhyfe. “Skyborn’s track record in offshore wind power, Lhyfe’s expertise in renewable hydrogen production, coupled with ABB’s technological expertise creates new opportunities for enabling ‘power-to-x’ solutions linked with renewable hydrogen production at scale.”