Review of next generation hydrogen production from offshore wind using water electrolysis

Hydrogen produced using renewable energy from offshore wind provides a versatile method of energy storage and power-to-gas concepts. However, few dedicated floating offshore electrolyser facilities currently exist and therefore conditions of the offshore environment on hydrogen production cost and efficiency remain uncertain. Therefore, this review focuses on the conversion of electrical energy to hydrogen, using water electrolysis located in offshore areas. The challenges associated with the remote locations, fluctuating power and harsh conditions are highlighted and recommendations for future electrolysis system designs are suggested. The latest research in polymer electrolyte membrane, alkaline and membraneless electrolysis are evaluated in order to understand their capital costs, efficiency and current research status for achieving scaled manufacturing to the GW scale required in the next three decades. Operating fundamentals that govern the performance of each device are investigated and future recommendations of research specifically for the integration of water electrolysers with offshore wind turbines is presented.