At the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), a pioneering project for the integrated production and storage of green hydrogen in previously undeveloped sea areas has been launched in collaboration with the companies CRUSE Offshore GmbH (COG), RENK and H&R.

In view of the current energy crisis, the production of green hydrogen is becoming increasingly relevant. This is increasing the demand for electricity from renewable energies in Europe in addition to the already high demand from e.g. electromobility. At the same time, the space available for the installation of wind power and photovoltaic systems is becoming increasingly scarce. The ProHyGen project is therefore utilising the innovative technology of floating wind turbines to produce hydrogen using wind energy in previously undeveloped sea areas.

To this end, a floating hydrogen generation unit for sea areas outside the potential locations for conventional offshore wind farms is being developed to prototype maturity. A wind turbine generates the energy for splitting the hydrogen from desalinated seawater directly on the floating platform. An innovative method for the unpressurised storage of hydrogen based on a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) enables safe transport using shuttle tankers of the type used in the oil industry. (see Figure 1). In this way, a self-sufficient integrated plant for the production and storage of green hydrogen is created that does not compete for space with other energy production methods and still offers cost advantages over the production of hydrogen from other renewable energy sources.

Utilisation of existing logistics

LOHC technology means that the existing logistics of the mineral oil industry, tanker lorries, tankers, tank farms and filling stations can be used - and with lower hazard class standards. The hydrogen-rich LOHC is only slightly flammable and is categorised in water hazard class 2. On land, the hydrogen is separated from the LOHC again and is available as pure hydrogen.

Independent of surplus electricity

By integrating energy production on the floating hydrogen generator, the system is completely decoupled from the establishment of other technologies or conditions that cannot be influenced, such as the availability of green surplus electricity. As the concept is independent of water depth and proximity to land, offshore locations with significantly higher energy density can be developed.