Green Hydrogen from Offshore Wind Power Hubs

Massive investments in offshore wind power generate significant challenges on how this electricity will be integrated in the incumbent energy systems. In this context, green hydrogen produced by offshore wind, emerges as a promising solution to remove barriers towards a carbon-free economy in Europe and beyond. Motivated by the recent developments in Denmark with the decision to construct the first Offshore Energy Hub in the North Sea, this paper investigates how we can achieve the lowest production cost for green hydrogen. Taking a holistic approach, we consider the integrated co-design of the hydrogen and offshore electricity infrastructure, explore the synergies, and determine the levelized costs of both hydrogen and electricity. We investigate alternative electrolyser placements, technologies, and modes of operation. We find that producing hydrogen offshore reduces the levelized cost of electricity and achieves the lowest cost for hydrogen, competitive with the hydrogen costs currently produced by natural gas.