Redefining Offshore Wind: Impacts of Hydrogen Production Facilities on Floating Wind Turbine Platforms

Renewable hydrogen presents a promising pathway for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. However, large-scale renewable energy resources are essential for cost-effective production. Offshore wind energy, with its maturing technology in wind turbine capacities and floating platforms, is an ideal match for this need. While several studies have explored the techno-economic aspects of offshore green hydrogen production, there is a notable gap in research concerning the design of floating support platforms that integrate both hydrogen production facilities and wind power generation systems.
The impact of hydrogen production equipment on the dynamics of floating platforms, particularly when exposed to stochastic wind and wave conditions, remains an open technical question. Specifically, it is unclear whether the platform’s motion could adversely affect the performance of both the wind turbine and the hydrogen production system. Many existing studies assume that floating platforms designed for wind power generation (FOWT) are inherently suitable for floating wind hydrogen systems (FWHS), without comprehensive technical evaluations.
This study addresses these gaps by proposing a preliminary design for a decentralized offshore FWHS. It also assesses the effects of integrating hydrogen production facilities on the floating platform’s dynamic behaviour and examines how platform motions could influence the performance of both the wind turbine and the potential effects on hydrogen production equipment. Our results suggest that platform stability is reduced in specific wind directions, though the wind power generation remains largely unaffected. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights for the design of hydrogen production equipment for offshore dynamic conditions, contributing to the feasibility and optimization of FWHS designs.