Grid-independent, modular and seaworthy: the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and its partners aim to produce synthetic fuels from wind energy, seawater, and ambient air on a floating platform as part of the H2Mare project PtX-Wind. A modular facility has been installed on a barge and is ready for operation in Bremerhaven.
On 8 July 2025, the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space officially opened the world’s first floating demonstration platform showcasing a complete Power-to-X process chain for synthetic fuel production. Later this year, it will begin producing fuel directly at sea, off the coast of Helgoland.
Fuel from wind, water and air
The modular structure allows for dynamic, off-grid operation of the entire process chain, adapting to the availability of renewable electricity from offshore wind turbines.
Offshore deployment
Testing of the platform will begin this month, initially in Bremerhaven port and later in open waters off Helgoland. In addition to testing the flexible operation of the entire process chain, researchers aim to investigate maritime conditions, material properties, and regulatory requirements in real-world, off-grid conditions. The findings will inform the development of larger production platforms that can be directly coupled with offshore wind turbines.
Alongside offshore synthetic fuel production, the PtX-Wind project is also exploring other Power-to-X synthesis routes. At KIT, researchers are investigating the production of liquid methane, methanol, and ammonia.
H2Mare and PtX-Wind
H2Mare is one of three hydrogen lead projects funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The project focuses on offshore production of green hydrogen and other Power-to-X products using wind energy. Through its research, H2Mare contributes to the implementation of the National Hydrogen Strategy.
In the PtX-Wind subproject, KIT is working with scientific and industrial partners to convert green hydrogen produced offshore into derivatives – follow-on products such as synthetic fuels. The demonstration platform was developed by KIT in collaboration with H2Mare partners: the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)and the Technical University of Berlin.
