Modelling the interactions of an energy storage system integrated with an offshore, green hydrogen production plant for central Mediterranean waters

Abstract

Hydrogen production from offshore renewable power plants will be essential for decarbonising the maritime sector. As previous studies have shown, the establishment of such production would benefit from the integration of an energy storage system, enabling the smoothening of the intermittency of the electrical energy produced from the renewable source and thus also increasing the production efficiency of the downstream hydrogen production process. Previous work focusing on the North Sea has shown the effectiveness of using the Floating Liquid-piston Accumulator using Seawater under Compression (FLASC) technology to smoothen the intermittent electricity supply from offshore wind turbines before being fed to the electrolyser. This paper investigates the impact of integrating the FLASC Energy Storage System (ESS) technology in offshore green hydrogen production in the central Mediterranean, which is characterised by weaker wind resources. In addition, studies of potential deep water sites in Malta’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as well as a preliminary insight into potential maritime-sector end-users of the hydrogen product, have led to the identification of a number of preferred locations for offshore modular hydrogen production systems. High-level wind measurements from a LiDAR unit installed at a coastal location in Malta are used in conjunction with in-house numerical models to study the impact of FLASC integration on the operation of the wind-driven hydrogen plant. The work forms part of the project “Hydro Pneumatic Energy Storage for Offshore Green Hydrogen Generation – HydroGenEration” and presents preliminary schemes for the development of such stand-alone offshore Hydrogen production modules in which the end product will be used to supply maritime sector end-users and foster decarbonisation in this sector. This project contributes to the SDG 7 goals by providing solutions for the better interfacing of offshore renewable energy and energy storage for the decarbonisation of the hydrogen production process and of the maritime sector. The research presented in this paper forms part of the work undertaken in the project: "Hydro Pneumatic Energy Storage for Offshore Green Hydrogen Generation - HydroGenEration"; funded by The Energy and Water Agency under Malta's National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water (2021-2030) - Project Reference: EWA 64/22.