Deep Purple Project Collaboration

TechnipFMC’s Deep Purple project develops solutions for offshore production of hydrogen and intermittency management of wind farms by storing the hydrogen subsea. Increased focus on offshore wind and the need to store energy has led to high international attention on the project.

This article was first published 16 June 2020.

The clusters; GCE Ocean Technology and Ocean Hyway Cluster serve the Norwegian ocean industries.

Last week the two players signed a collaboration agreement with TechnipFMC to contribute to the development and commercialisation of the different Deep Purple concepts.

New Concept in 2016

The Deep Purple concept was founded at the Research Council of Norway’s Idea Lab in June 2016.

Partners were TechnipFMC, Ocean Hyway Cluster, Energy Valley and Sintef. TechnipFMC took ownership to the project and has led the development process since then, including collaboration with the founders.

Our Ocean Technology Innovator Trond Strømgren was one of the project founders and have in practice represented GCE Ocean Technology in the work being done so far.

Technology Development

The Deep Purple project has been developed into different concepts. The main scope is a complete solution for stabilizing offshore wind production by the use of subsea storage of hydrogen.

This will enable energy storage from offshore wind and stable zero emission energy supply to offshore installations and island communities.

Offshore large-scale hydrogen production from wind farms for pipeline export is also part of the concept.

The concept also allows international shipping to bunker hydrogen at open sea for export or vessel propulsion.

Another scope is an integrated system for safe subsea hydrogen storage and distribution at ports around the world.

Formalising Our Collaboration

As leading ocean industry clusters; GCE Ocean Technology and Ocean Hyway Cluster represent more than 200 organisations.

Many of these can contribute as suppliers to the final development stages of the different concepts and in the upcoming commercial phase. TechnipFMC and the two players signed a collaboration agreement 10 June.

– We look upon the different Deep Purple concepts as most interesting. On behalf of our members we look forward to following up and hopefully contribute to reduced emissions and added value in the years to come, says Owe Hagesæther, CEO in GCE Ocean Technology.

Recently TechnipFMC transferred the Deep Purple project to their wholly owned subsidiary KANFA AS.

– There will be a need for increased collaboration with industry and technology players as we approach the commercial stage for the Deep Purple Project, says Harald Bjørn Hansen, Director Deep Purple BU at KANFA AS.

– We are happy now, having formalised collaboration with these two leading maritime clusters and are keen to head forward with increased strength, Hansen ends.