“Green” hydrogen is a central part of the IEAs Net-Zero scenario, and the needed build-out of wind turbines and electrolysers is enormous. However, the transition is slow due to the high cost compared to the “grey” alternatives.

Electricity accounts for most of the green hydrogen cost, and about 25% of the electricity cost of offshore wind comes from the electricity transmission to shore. Therefore, if hydrogen production can be moved offshore and close to the wind farm, it should be possible to replace expensive electric transmission cables with cheap hydrogen pipelines and achieve significant cost reductions.

Offshore locations or remote areas with limited grid connection can benefit from the direct coupling of wind energy and hydrogen production. A new paper (Ibrahim et al. 2022) reviews the principal technologies involved in three green hydrogen concepts, and the associated costs are estimated in a 2019 report (Caine, David et al. 2019).

Ibrahim, Omar S., Alessandro Singlitico, Roberts Proskovics, Shane McDonagh, Cian Desmond, and Jerry D. Murphy. 2022. “Dedicated Large-Scale Floating Offshore Wind to Hydrogen: Assessing Design Variables in Proposed Typologies.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 160 (May): 112310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112310.

Caine, David, Iliffe, Molly, Kevin Kinsella, Widya Wahyuni, and Laura Bond. 2019. “Dolphyn Hydrogen - Phase 1 Final Report.” Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/866375/Phase_1_-_ERM_-_Dolphyn.pdf.