The Role of Offshore Wind Power in Renewable Hydrogen Production

We investigate the role of offshore wind in a hybrid system comprising solar PV, offshore wind, electrical storage (pumped hydro energy storage or battery) and an electrolyser in an off-grid hydrogen production system. Further we capture a wide range of future cost reduction scenarios for offshore wind power and solar PV generation, in addition to accounting for future projected falls in electrolyser costs, allowing future hydrogen costs to be estimated with a variety of different assumptions. The empirical setting of Australia and incorporation of solar PV as an additional potential source of electricity enables us to examine the contribution of offshore wind to renewable hydrogen production when an low-cost renewable alternative is available. This study complements a small number of studies on opportunities for offshore wind power in the Australian setting (Briggs et al., 2021; Golestani et al., 2021; Aryai et al., 2021), and contributes to research on the potential for offshore wind to contribute to green hydrogen production focused on the crucial Asia-Pacific region (Kim and Kim, 2017; Song et al., 2021).
In the following sections we describe the optimization model and the process used for selecting sites used in the study. We then summarize the modelling scenarios and assumptions, before outlining the modelling results. We conclude by discussing the implications of the findings.