Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa will cooperate on projects to develop an industrial-scale system capable of harvesting green hydrogen from offshore wind. That includes developing a commercial offshore wind turbine that produces hydrogen by electrolysis.
The projects target a total investment of approximately $120 million over five years in developments leading to a fully integrated offshore wind-to-hydrogen solution. The companies intend their developments to help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as transport and heavy industry.
Siemens Gamesa will adapt its SG14-222 DD offshore wind turbine to integrate an electrolysis system into the turbine’s operations.The project intends to produce green hydrogen using an electrolyzer array located at the base of the offshore wind turbine tower, thereby offering offshore hydrogen production.
“We are the company that can leverage its highly flexible electrolyzer technology and create and redefine the future of sustainable offshore energy production, ” said Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy. “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.”
Siemens Gamesa plans to invest EUR 80 million over five years while Siemens Energy aims to invest EUR 40 million in developments. Siemens Energy owns 67% of Siemens Gamesa, the world’s largest offshore wind turbine maker.
About 1% of the 80 million tons of hydrogen produced annually is generated from green energy sources. Meanwhile, hydrogen production is expected to increase by about 20 million tons by 2030. The expected growth will require between 1000 GW and 4000 GW of renewable capacity by 2050 to meet demand, according to the companies.
