The government has begun negotiations and due diligence on 17 electrolyser projects, totalling 262MW, as part of the first electrolytic allocation round (HAR1).
Three projects have withdrawn from the list.
They include the planned 100MW ‘Gigastack’ project, a joint venture of Phillips 66 Ltd and Ørsted, which has been ‘paused’. The companies said: “We have made a joint decision to withdraw our bid from the funding process and pause the Gigastack project. We’re proud of the huge amount of work we have done to date to accelerate the deployment of green hydrogen, demonstrating both the potential to integrate with offshore wind energy, and the use of hydrogen to refuel critical national infrastructure. Phillips 66 Limited and Orsted believe that further project maturation together with supply chain development is required to unlock maximum potential of this world-scale electrolytic hydrogen project. We will continue to work with the governments of the UK, industry and stakeholders to help realise the enormous potential of green hydrogen.”
ERM’s Dolphyn was also withdrawn but the company said it has withdrawn the single-unit demonstrator application to secure alternative funding for a phased multi-unit larger development, to accelerate its commercial scale roll-out. The Dolphyn unit combines electrolysis, desalination and hydrogen production on a floating wind platform.
Dolphyn said it would focus on an opportunity to advance the Dolphyn demonstrator within a larger commercial scale project, where the demonstrator forms phase one of the roll-out. Meanwhile, it is preparing for offshore hydrogen trials in Milford Haven, South Wales that will proceed this autumn.
Inovyn has also withdrawn the Quill 2 project.

DESNZ plans to award contracts totalling up to 250MW of capacity from HAR1, subject to affordability and value for money, in Q4 2023. The first projects are expected to become operational in 2025.
The remaining projects are:
Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder, SSE Thermal, Yorkshire
Barrow Green Hydrogen, Carlton Power, North West
Bradford Low Carbon Hydrogen, Hygen, Yorkshire
Cheshire Green Hydrogen, Progressive Energy Net Zero, North West
Cromarty Hydrogen Project, Pale Blue Dot Energy, Scotland
Gordonbush Hydrogen Project (GBH2), SSE Renewables, Scotland
Green Hydrogen 1, RES and Octopus Renewables, Scotland
Green Hydrogen 2, RES and Octopus Renewables, Wales
Green Hydrogen 3, RES and Octopus Renewables, South East
H2 Production Plant at High Marnham, JG Pears, East Midlands
HyBont, Marubeni Europower, Wales
HyGreen Teesside, BP Alternative Energy Investments, North East
Langage Green Hydrogen, Carlton Power, South West
Tees Green Hydrogen, EDF Renewables Hydrogen, North East
Trafford Green Hydrogen, Carlton Power, North West
West Wales Hydrogen Project – Phase 1, H2 Energy and Trafigura, Wales
Whitelee Green Hydrogen, Scottish Power, Scotland