RWE, Siemens and Shell are among those exploring offshore hydrogen production to decouple ocean wind from Europe’s crowded grid.
The European Union wants to build 40 gigawatts of green hydrogen electrolyzers by 2030 and estimates that 80 to 120 gigawatts of solar and wind will be needed to power them.
That’s a new headache for Europe’s grid operators. Decarbonization is expected to double the demand for electricity as transport and heat are also electrified.
Taking hydrogen production off the power grid could be a win-win solution to these problems. That’s the idea behind plans for what’s termed “islanded” hydrogen, which would pair electrolyzers with offshore wind farms and send hydrogen molecules, rather than electrons, back to shore.