Wind power player Siemens Gamesa and technology company Siemens Energy are working on a green hydrogen solution that fully integrates an electrolyser into an offshore wind turbine as a single synchronised system. A full-scale demonstration of the solution is expected by 2025-26.

Producing offshore is a promising solution to the problem of building industrial volumes of green hydrogen at a competitive price—without competing with other sources of demand for renewable power. Wind farms onshore, or close to shore, can efficiently feed into electricity grids, when the grid can accept power. Hydrogen can be produced from excess energy when the grid cannot accept it and would otherwise be curtailed.

The technology also allows wind farms to be located much further from shore, where there can be hugely strong winds, as transporting hydrogen does not entail the same losses as transmitting electrical energy via power lines. The technology is expected to be particularly suitable for North Sea applications.

“The potential of regions with abundant offshore wind will become accessible for the hydrogen economy” Bruch, Siemens Energy

Siemens is targeting total investment of approximately €120mn ($146mn) in its projects over five years. This would be a first major step to developing industrial-scale green hydrogen production from offshore wind, according to the firm. A fully integrated offshore wind-to-hydrogen solution would produce green hydrogen using an electrolyser array located at the base of the offshore wind turbine tower.

The German education and research ministry confirmed the Siemens development can be implemented within the framework of its Hydrogen Republic of Germany ideas competition.

Germany is not alone among EU member states in expressing solid interest in offshore green hydrogen. The Netherlands is exploring the feasibility of combining tenders for hydrogen and offshore wind projects to help balance its energy network, the head of the Dutch hydrogen association confirmed this week.

Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy, says: “Together with Siemens Gamesa, we are in a unique position to develop this game-changing solution. We are the company that can leverage its highly flexible electrolyser technology and create and redefine the future of sustainable offshore energy production.

“With these developments, the potential of regions with abundant offshore wind will become accessible for the hydrogen economy. It is a prime example of enabling us to store and transport wind energy, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the economy.”

€120mn – Target investment over five years

Siemens expects renewable power capacity dedicated to green hydrogen to be between 1,000GW and 4,000GW by 2050.

Andreas Nauen, Siemens Gamesa CEO adds: “Our more than 30 years of experience and leadership in the offshore wind industry, coupled with Siemens Energy’s expertise in electrolysers, brings together brilliant minds and cutting-edge technologies to address the climate crisis. Our wind turbines play a huge role in the decarbonisation of the global energy system, and the potential of wind-to-hydrogen means that we can do this for hard-to-abate industries too. It makes me very proud that our people are a part of shaping a greener future.”

Chile installation 

The most powerful and modern wind turbines that Siemens Gamesa has in operation are its SG 145, 5MW units.

These are being used, for example, in the 189MW project Cabo Leones III wind farm in Chile. The second phase, a joint project run by Repsol and Ibereolica Renovables, is under construction and will have an installed capacity of 110MW.

The first phase of this wind farm, with 79MW of installed power, begun commercial operation in December.

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Author: Alastair O’Dell<BR>Senior Editor