Hydrogen is expected to play a major role in the decarbonization of future energy systems.

Hydrogen is ideal for storing renewable energy for longer periods of time, thereby increasing energy security.

It can provide electricity, renewable heat, power long-haul transport, shipping and aviation, and decarbonize several industrial processes.

To harness the power of this new fuel, researchers at Texas A&M University are designing a green hydrogen production system using offshore wind power.

Offshore Hydrogen Hub

Two researchers from Texas A&M University’s Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering are working to design an offshore hydrogen hub in the United States.

Dr Keshawa Shukla, Professor of Practice in Subsea Engineering and Vy Le Interdisciplinary Engineering PhD student, is designing an offshore hydrogen hub capable of producing green hydrogen from water electrolysis using electricity obtained from an offshore wind substation.

Dr. Shukla and Vy Le’s research focuses on the design of a fixed-bottom offshore hydrogen center that produces and stores green hydrogen from water electrolysis using electricity generated at from the renewable energy source of a fixed bottom offshore wind farm known as a substation.

This process splits water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The hydrogen is then processed, compressed and stored on board in liquid form.

The economics of the hydrogen production system are evaluated using software for existing offshore wind farms.

“Green hydrogen is the renewable energy vector of the future, which makes this project very rewarding to carry out. Additionally, it offers the highest efficiency among other energy sources,” Le said. Dr. Shukla’s Ph.D. advisor, and she was encouraged to join the project.

Exploiting offshore wind power

Vy Le presented his research at the Offshore Technology Conference 2024.

Their paper, “Renewable Energy: Process Design of Green Hydrogen Production Systems Utilizing Offshore Wind Energy,” was published in the OTC 2024 Proceedings accessible through One Petro and co-authored with Shashikant Sarada, vice president of engineering offshore wind turbine at WSP.

Vy Le and Dr. Shukla created a conceptual process design for a green hydrogen production system using offshore wind energy from a nearby offshore substation.

They assessed the economics of the green hydrogen production process and identified major risks.

They hope to collaborate with industry and research funding agencies.

Although studying green hydrogen production involves many technical and economic challenges, Vy Le and Dr. Shukla remain passionate about the research.

“Learning about the solutions and contributions dedicated to addressing the challenges of net-zero energy production motivated me to work on this very exciting project,” said Vy Le.

“More importantly, the greatest motivation what keeps me moving forward is the support of Dr. Shukla and his industry network, the faculty and staff of the MTDE department, my colleagues and my family.

Ecological energy

Every year, summer temperatures come earlier and last longer – a problem experienced all over the world.

According to the UN, the Earth is about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.

One method to reduce the carbon footprint is to use green hydrogen, an energy carrier produced from renewable energy sources.

Its production contributes to global efforts to meet the UN decarbonization target of reducing emissions by 45% by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

The researcher’s work aims reach these objectives.