Europe’sambition to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 presentsseveral challenges in the domain of variable renewable energy generation andthe development of sustainable energy carriers. In support of this mission, theNorth Sea is identified as a promising energy source, to be efficientlyharnessed through the deployment of system-integrated offshore energy hubs combining wind farms withoffshore electrolysis. The discussion around hydrogen’s role as a renewablefuel in a high variable renewable energy energy system and its contribution tostable, systemic decarbonisation is acknowledged and relevant literatureexamined.

TenneT,alongside other European TSOs, has proposed certain hub layouts as a part ofseveral studies and reports looking into the various aspects of ofshore enegryhubs. However, limited information exists on the financial attractiveness ofthese conceptual hubs for investors and developers. This study aims todetermine the optimal configuration of such energy hubs from the standpoint of economic viability.

A modularmathematical model is developed to represent offshore energy hubs, enabling thetesting of multiple configurations across various energy scenarios. Parameterssuch as electrolysis capacity, interconnection capacity, and ownershipstructures are varied, generating a range of configurations evaluated underdifferent price profiles for electricity and hydrogen. The model is applied to a case study based on the2x2 GW offshore hub configuration, aligned with the North Sea Wind Power Hubprogramme. Results point to a weak business case for electrolysers under thedatasets used. However, configurations featuring smaller electrolysers co-ownedwith relatively larger wind farms exhibit lower investment costs and greatereconomic benefit compared to those with larger electrolysers and smaller windfarms.

The thesisextends the analysis to consider implications for policy, tendering procedures,and broader socioeconomic dynamics. Strategies such as phased build-out andpublic ownership of power-to-gas infrastructure are explored as potentialenablers of hydrogen integration into offshore wind systems. Finally, concernsabout energy security, heightened by recent disruptions in global supplychains, particularly in the energy sector, are discussed. This shifts the focusbeyond pure economic considerations, toward the strategic value ofsystem-integrated offshore hubs and their supporting infrastructure.

As part of the Dutch government’s ambitions to realise significant offshore wind energy capacity (70 gigawatts (GW) by 2050), the Port of Rotterdam is to become a hydrogen hub for North-Western Europe. To achieve this, it is expected that around 20 megatonnes (Mt) of hydrogen could be throughput in the Port of Rotterdam, out of which 2 Mt will be produced locally from offshore wind farms. Current offshore wind farms use high voltage electricity cables to transport energy to shore, but could, in the future, also transport energy in the form of hydrogen to shore via a transport infrastructure.
The objective of this thesis is to investigate the techno-economical feasibility of an offshore hydrogen production value chain connected to the Port of Rotterdam. The technical analysis gives insights into the possible technologies that can be used for the offshore value chain. It will also look at the technical feasibility of system integration in the Noth Sea's energy system. The economic analysis gives insights into the economic feasibility of the offshore hydrogen production value chain. The total costs are of importance, as well as the levelised cost of hydrogen.
In this thesis, a qualitative literature study maps the different possibilities per component of the value chain. A decision framework is then used to discuss the best possibility per component and to build three promising designs. These designs are then modelled in MATLAB to size their components. With the model’s output, a cost analysis can be done to determine whether such a value chain would be feasible compared to other ongoing projects. A special focus will be put on the Port of Rotterdam, to which the value chain will be connected.
The offshore decentral configuration is found to be the best-performing design based on assessments through a multi-criteria decision analysis, a technical model and a financial model. It is, therefore, the most promising design.