1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Exporting renewable hydrogen via offshore MCH platform The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it as known to me: 2 Exporting renewable hydrogen via offshore MCH platform FIELD OF THE INVENTION (01) The present invention relates broadly to a method of exporting renewably generated Hydrogen by using an offshore platform, for the manufacture, storage and offloading of Methylcyclohexane (MCH). BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION (02) In recent years there has been an expansion of interest and knowledge in the use of offshore platforms, both floating and fixed rig, to undertake various processes in the oil and gas industry including the floating production, storage and offloading of oil (FPSO) and the floating liquefaction of natural gas (FLNG). (03) In recent years there has also been an expansion of knowledge and interest in using MCH as a vector to transport zero emission Hydrogen (H 2 ) where such Hydrogen is generated via the electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy such as solar, tidal, wind or geothermal energy. (04) Hydrogen once generated, whether from renewable energy sources or from fossil fuel sources such as methane or coal, can be combined with Toluene (C 7
H
8 ) in a chemical plant so as to produce MCH (C 7 Hl4. (05) Both Toluene and MCH have the advantage of being liquid at ambient temperature and pressure and in consequence can be transported via the extensive existing ship borne and road transport infrastructure used for petroleum products such as diesel and petrol. (06) An MCH production platform can be located offshore on a fixed or floating platform which is supplied with electricity from a shore based supply of renewably generated electricity. (07) In the present invention a water desalination unit, an electrolysis plant to spilt Hydrogen from water and a hydrogenation plant to combine Toluene and Hydrogen to produce MCH, are all located on board the offshore MCH production platform and the energy to run these processes is brought to the offshore platform via high voltage cables which transmit electricity which has been generated onshore from renewable sources such as solar, wind, tidal or geothermal energy. (08) Such offshore MCH production plant can store the MCH in onboard holding tanks and then subsequently offload it into shipping tankers which can transport the MCH to an - - . : - -L 3 (09) If at such export destination the Hydrogen is cracked back out of the MCH and the remaining Toluene is then returned to the original MCH production plant to again be converted into MCH, the effect is to export renewable hydrogen via a closed carbon loop. (10) By locating the MCH production plant in an offshore location adjacent to the exporting country, such country can avoid the need to construct new port facilities and onshore chemical facilities. (11) The use of an offshore MCH production platform enables plant items to be constructed in low cost foreign ship building or plant building construction centres where costs can be much lower than those applying in the exporting country. (12) For "stranded" renewable energy seeking an export market, a logistics chain utilising an offshore MCH production platform as described herein can overcome distance issues, provide short term storage and can promote efficiencies by combining both the MCH production function and the port loading functions into a single, conveniently located asset. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (13) According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of exporting renewably generated hydrogen via offshore MCH platform, by: a. Producing electricity on-shore from a source of renewable energy such as solar, tidal, wind or geothermal power; and b. Transmitting this renewably generated electricity via high voltage cable to an offshore MCH production platform; and c. Accommodating on such offshore platform a water desalination plant, an electrolysis plant, and a hydrogenation plant for combining Hydrogen with Toluene to produce MCH, the power for all of which would be provided by the renewably generated electricity which has been transmitted from the shore to such offshore platform; and d. Accommodating on such offshore platform separate Toluene and MCH holding tanks to enable transport ships to first deliver Toluene to such offshore platform and then to off take MCH for delivery to export markets; and e. Recycling Toluene between the offshore MCH production platform and the export destination so as to enable the export of renewably generated Hydrogen via a closed carbon loop.
4 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING (14) In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention a preferred embodiment of a method of exporting renewable hydrogen via offshore MCH platform will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing Figure 1 which involves the following steps: a. Producing electricity on-shore from a source of renewable energy such as solar, tidal, wind or geothermal power 1 ; and b. Transmitting this renewably generated electricity via high voltage cable 2, to an offshore platform 3; and c. Accommodating on such offshore platform a water desalination plant 4, an electrolysis plant 5, a Toluene holding tank 6, a hydrogenation plant 7, and an MCH holding tank 8, the power for all of which would be provided by the renewable electricity generation plant 1, the electricity from which has been transmitted from the shore to the offshore platform 3 via a high voltage cable 2; and d. Harnessing the offshore platform's water desalination plant 4, electrolysis plant 5, Toluene holding tank 6, hydrogenation plant 7, and MCH holding tank 8, to enable the on-board production of MCH which would then be stored on-board, pending offloading into MCH transport ships which can berth alongside. e. Such MCH transport ships would berth alongside the offshore platform 3 and first discharge their Toluene into the offshore platform's Toluene holding tank 6 and then take on board the MCH from the offshore platform's MCH holding tank 8. (15) Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, the offshore MCH platform could be a permanent rig anchored to the sea bed or it could be a floating vessel. (16) All such variations are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.