Offshore Hydrogen Wind Turbines

Challenge

Green hydrogen will play an important role in the future energy system, because with hydrogen you can store renewable energy so that it can be used when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. Green hydrogen is produced by an electrolysis process, where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen by supplying electricity from renewable energy sources.

Production of green hydrogen is not taking place on a large scale yet, but the plans for future production involve that the power is directed from offshore wind turbines through a number of pipes and plants inland. On land, the hydrogen is formed in an electrolysis plant, after which it is passed through a compressor where it is exposed to high pressure. The infrastructure in this process is very expensive because it requires many specialized components and plants. In addition, there is a substantial loss of energy because the power has to be converted through various cables and stations on the way inland.

Solution

The project will demonstrate that it is possible to connect electrolysis systems and compresses directly to each individual wind turbine, so that the product that is led inland is hydrogen instead of electricity. In other words, you want to assemble all the components on the mill so that it becomes a hydrogen mill.

The project will also investigate the dangers and safety of installing electrolysis systems directly on the wind turbines.

Effect

Integration of electrolyzer and compressor on the turbine will enable both cost reductions and reduction of energy loss for hydrogen production. It is estimated a possible cost reduction of 23% in Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) for a 1GW wind farm that produces hydrogen.