Offshore wind-to-hydrogen: the impact of intermittency on hydrogen production and transport

Abstract

Green hydrogen has significant potential as an energy storage medium and as a clean energy carrier in many hard to decarbonize sectors. There is significant ongoing research on coupling offshore wind with hydrogen production via electrolysis. For large offshore wind farms, located further from shore, transporting energy onshore via hydrogen pipeline can be a more cost-effective solution in comparison to electrical alternatives. This research investigates how the intermittent nature of an offshore wind resource impacts the components of an offshore wind-to-hydrogen system. A variable supply of power from an intermittent offshore wind resource can impact electrolyser performance. Proton exchange membrane electrolysers are frequently identified as being the most suited to offshore hydrogen production, due to their wide operating range and fast starting speed. However, electroyser degradation will occur if no current is applied during no wind periods. Variable hydrogen production from an intermittent offshore wind resource can cause a fluctuating flow of hydrogen gas in the pipeline. The resulting pressure variations can cause pipeline fatigue and increase the likelihood of hydrogen embrittlement. A configuration using battery and hydrogen storage is proposed to mitigate these impacts, for hydrogen production on a centralized offshore platform from floating offshore wind