Hydrogen Production from Offshore Wind Parks: Current Situation and Future Perspectives

Abstract

With the increase in renewable energy connected to the grid, new challenges arise due to its variable supply of power. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new methods of storing energy. Hydrogen can fulfil the role of energy storage and even act as an energy carrier, since it has a much higher energetic density than batteries and can be easily stored. Considering that the offshore wind sector is facing significant growth and technical advances, hydrogen has the potential to be combined with offshore wind energy to aid in overcoming disadvantages such as the high installation cost of electrical transmission systems and transmission losses. This paper aims to outline and discuss the main features of the integration of hydrogen solutions in offshore wind power and to offer a literature review of the current state of hydrogen production from offshore wind. The paper provides a summary of the technologies involved in hydrogen production along with an analysis of two possible hydrogen producing systems from offshore wind energy. The analysis covers the system components, including hydrogen storage, the system configuration (i.e., offshore vs. onshore electrolyzer), and the potential uses of hydrogen, e.g., Power to Mobility, Power to Power, and Power to Gas.