With the aim of decarbonizing the economy to solve the climate crisis, Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy have announced an agreement with a focus on sustainable development. The aim is to create a project that fully integrates an electrolyzer into an offshore wind turbine as a single synchronized system, thus producing green hydrogen directly.
According to the companies, the technology is expected to reduce the cost of hydrogen, as it is capable of operating off-grid. In a statement, the companies said they intend to provide a large-scale demonstration of the solution by 2026. In total, both will invest around €120 million (approximately R$797 million).
“Our more than 30 years of experience and leadership in the offshore wind industry, with Siemens Energy's expertise in electrolysers, brings together brilliant minds and cutting-edge technologies to tackle the climate crisis,” highlighted Andreas Nauen, CEO of Siemens Gamesa.
“Wind turbines play a huge role in decarbonizing the global energy system, and the potential of wind into hydrogen means we can do this for hard-to-abate industries too. I am very proud to be part of building a greener future”, he added.
Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy, also commented on this partnership and said that they are in a unique position to develop this solution. “We are the company that can leverage highly flexible electrolyzer technology and create and redefine the future of sustainable offshore energy production.”
“With these developments, the potential of regions with abundant wind energy will become accessible to the hydrogen economy. It is an excellent example of how it allows us to store and transport wind, thus reducing the economy’s carbon footprint,” he highlighted.
About hydrogen
Currently, 80 million tons of hydrogen are produced each year and production is expected to increase by around 20 million tons by 2030. Only 1% is currently generated from green energy sources. Most of this is obtained from natural gas and coal, emitting 830 million tons of CO₂ per year, more than the entire Germany or the global shipping industry. According to studies, replacing this polluting consumption would require 820 GW of wind generation capacity, 26% more than the current installed capacity.
green hydrogen
O hydrogen produced with renewable electricity can compete on costs with fossil fuels by 2030. This is what the new report released by IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency). According to the agency, the combination of falling prices for solar and wind power, improved performance, and economies of scale for electrolyzers could make this possible. The research examines the drivers of innovation and presents strategies that governments can examine to reduce the cost of electrolyzers by 40% in the short term and up to 80% in the long term.
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