Integration between Wind Energy and Green Hydrogen

Wind is an unstable energy source, which means it is not always accessible when we need it. Wind turbines generate electricity while the wind blows, but they stop producing power when the wind dies. This implies that wind energy cannot be a stable source of energy unless it can be stored for later use.

Here, green hydrogen shows up in the picture. Wind energy may be utilized to make hydrogen by electrolysis, and the energy can be stored in the form of hydrogen gas and used as needed. This increases the energy’s dependability and flexibility by allowing it to be stored for extended periods of time and utilized to power a range of applications.

In addition to creating green hydrogen from offshore wind farms, it may offer energy for applications that cannot be powered directly by electricity. Hydrogen, for example, may be utilized as a fuel for heavy-duty transportation such as trucks and ships, as well as industrial activities such as steelmaking and ammonia manufacture.

These applications need a fuel with a high energy density, which hydrogen may deliver. Furthermore, creating green hydrogen from offshore wind farms can help lower offshore wind energy prices. The high expense of creating and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to generate and transmit power is one of the problems with offshore wind energy.

The expenses of producing hydrogen may be spread out among different income streams by employing the same infrastructure, making the overall cost of energy generation more competitive.

Of course, creating green hydrogen from offshore wind farms still presents hurdles. The technology for creating and storing hydrogen is still in its early stages, and the cost of constructing the requisite infrastructure can be prohibitively expensive. However, as technology progresses and the need for clean energy grows, the benefits of creating green hydrogen from offshore wind farms become clearer.

Challenges facing the integration of the two energies

Offshore wind power is hard to incorporate into current energy networks, but green hydrogen generated by offshore wind might provide a solution. A methodology for determining the lowest cost of producing green hydrogen has been suggested, which includes an integrated design of the hydrogen and offshore electric power infrastructure.

According to the research, manufacturing green hydrogen offshore might cost as little as 2.4 €/kg, making it competitive with natural gas. Installing an electrolyze offshore can help lower wind energy costs by up to 13%.

To harness offshore wind power, the Danish Parliament is constructing an artificial energy island in the North Sea. It will connect 3 GW of offshore wind farms and transport electricity to land at a cheaper cost than individual offshore wind farms. Europe has set a goal of considerably growing offshore wind generation as a method of creating a society with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

However, using vast volumes of offshore wind presents a number of obstacles. The fluctuation of wind power generation is one such difficulty that might jeopardize the supply-demand grid balance. Furthermore, the projected offshore projects need grid reinforcements worth billions of dollars.

Finally, penetration of so-called hard-to-abate industries such as heavy-duty road transport, aviation, shipping, and the steel industry will create issues for electricity.

Attempts to merge the two energies

To solve these issues, water electrolysis, which generates hydrogen using renewable power, has emerged as a promising option. Hydrogen can be stored for longer periods of time and in greater amounts than electricity, assisting in grid balance and avoiding grid reinforcements. It may also be used to make green fuels like as methane, ammonia, and methanol.

To solve these issues, water electrolysis, which generates hydrogen using renewable power, has emerged as a promising option. Hydrogen can be stored for longer periods of time and in greater amounts than electricity, assisting in grid balance and avoiding grid reinforcements. It may also be used to make green fuels like as methane, ammonia, and methanol.

The European Union has set a target of 40 GW of electrolyzes installed in Europe by 2030, with an additional 40 GW installed in the EU’s adjacent territories.

Offshore wind power has the potential to revolutionize hydrogen generation. According to recent research, offshore electrolysis utilizing power provided by offshore wind farms can drastically lower the cost of hydrogen generation.

While previous research suggested high prices, the dropping cost and increasing availability of offshore wind power make it a feasible energy source for large-scale hydrogen generation.

Experts anticipate that the cost of manufacturing hydrogen utilizing a 100 MW wind farm-powered electrolysis facility in Norway will be roughly 5.2 €/kg. Meanwhile, research done on the Dutch continental shelf of the North Sea discovered that manufacturing hydrogen on current oil and gas installations might cost around 2.84 €/kg. When the savings from avoiding grid expansions are included in, the cost of producing 100% of a wind farm’s power as hydrogen might fall to 1-1.75€/kg.

While the cost of creating hydrogen and power from a multi-GW offshore energy centre has not yet been determined, many experts believe it will be prohibitively expensive. that offshore wind power and hydrogen production might make a big contribution to reaching a world with zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Potential locations for the electrolyzer include onshore, offshore, and in-turbine.

In the onshore scenario

Electricity generated by offshore wind power plants (OWPPs) is collected at a hub and transmitted to shore. A single electrolyzer produces hydrogen, which is compressed to grid pressure.

In the offshore scenario

The power generated by all OWPPs is routed to the hub, where a single electrolyzer creates hydrogen using desalinated saltwater. The hydrogen is then compressed and piped to shore.

The in-turbine scenario

The electrolyzer and desalination units are positioned inside or near to the tower of each wind turbine, The hydrogen produced is transferred to the hub via pipelines that connect clusters of turbines. The hydrogen is collected, compressed, and transferred to shore via pipeline at the hub.

References

  1. Calado, G.; Castro, R. Hydrogen Production from Offshore Wind Parks: Current Situation and Future Perspectives. Appl. Sci. 2021, 11,5561. https://doi.org/
  2. Alessandro Singlitico∗ , Jacob Østergaard, Spyros Chatzivasileiadis Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition Volume 1, August 2021, 100005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rset.2021.100005

 

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