The German energy company RWE has partnered with the producer BASF to build a 2GW offshore wind farm in the North Sea to decarbonise chemical production.

The project will supply BASF’s chemicals factory with green electricity and will provide power for a green hydrogen plant.

The plan is predicted to result in a reduction of around 3.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

Of them, almost a saving of almost 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are forecast to come only from the decarbonisation of the chemical factory.

Key technologies that are expected to be used are electrically heated steam cracker furnaces for the production of petrochemicals, methane and water electrolysis and heat pump technology.

Partners said the construction of the offshore wind farm would not need public subsidies.

Dr Martin Brudermüller from BASF and Dr Markus Krebber from RWE said: “Together we want to accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral chemical industry through electrification and through the use of carbon-free hydrogen.”