A pioneering initiative has achieved a significant milestone in offshore hydrogen production by directly connecting a wind turbine to two electrolysers, marking what is believed to be a world first. This project, part of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s H2Mare initiative, aims to test the direct coupling of wind power with electrolysis for hydrogen production and assess its operational impacts.
Conducted at a test facility in Floe, Denmark, the H2Mare project seeks to advance offshore hydrogen production using wind energy. Harnessing the typically stronger and more consistent winds at sea for green hydrogen production could notably lower costs compared to onshore methods. Additionally, this approach could eliminate the need for complex and expensive grid connections and reduce electricity losses associated with conversion processes.
A major challenge in this direct connection is the development of a robust control system, which is crucial for maintaining efficiency at sea. The H2Mare demonstration will focus on investigating how variable wind conditions affect the performance of the electrolysers.
Led by Siemens Gamesa, the wind turbine connection is a key component of the OffgridWind aspect of the H2Mare project, which aims to advance technologies for offshore hydrogen production. The project’s concept involves creating an offshore hydrogen production hub, featuring a platform with integrated wind turbines and containerized facilities for electrolysis and water treatment.
Other elements of the H2Mare initiative include the development of a compact electrolyser for marine use, spearheaded by Siemens Energy, and the creation of offshore power-to-X technologies. These technologies will use green hydrogen to produce downstream products like green methanol and ammonia, led by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.
Additional partners in the project include German energy giant RWE and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems. The latter is working on scaling up the reuse of waste heat from electrolysis to desalinate seawater, making it suitable for the electrolysis process.
H2Mare is one of three flagship hydrogen projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, aimed at overcoming barriers to the development of Germany’s hydrogen economy.
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