Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy are joining forces, combining their ongoing wind-to-hydrogen developments, in an effort to decarbonise the economy.
The companies are contributing a solution that fully integrates an electrolyser into an offshore wind turbine as a single synchronised system to directly produce green hydrogen.
Siemens Gamesa intends to adapt its development of its SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine, to integrate an electrolysis system seamlessly into the turbine’s operations.
Electric losses are reduced to a minimum, while a modular approach ensures a reliable and efficient operational set-up for a scalable offshore wind-to-hydrogen solution, the company said.
Siemens Energy will develop a new electrolysis product to not only meet the needs of the harsh maritime offshore environment and be in perfect sync with the wind turbine, but also to create a new competitive benchmark for green hydrogen.
The ultimate fully integrated offshore wind-to-hydrogen solution will produce green hydrogen using an electrolyser array located at the base of the offshore wind turbine tower.
The solution will lower the cost of hydrogen by being able to run off grid, opening up more and better wind sites, they argued.
The companies’ developments will serve as a test bed for making large-scale, cost-efficient hydrogen production a reality.
This will be done by proving the feasibility of reliable, effective implementation of wind turbines in systems for producing hydrogen from renewable energy.
The companies intend to provide a full-scale offshore demonstration of the solution by 2025/2026.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has confirmed that the developments can be implemented as part of the ideas competition “Hydrogen Republic of Germany”.
Siemens Gamesa chief executive Andreas Nauen said: “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 decarbonization 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.”
Siemens Energy chief executive Christian Bruch added: “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 economy.”