How DC's can benefit from hybrid HVDC-Renewable Power-Green Hydrogen Systems
HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) transmission is a promising approach that integrates renewable energy, green hydrogen production and large volumes of energy over long distance to power hungry applications such as data centres and advanced industrial facilities.
Some interesting projects underway include the 'SunZia Transmission Project' touted as one of the largest HVDC links in the world - expected operational in 2025.
To counter typical transmission project drawbacks relating to land use, over-crowding of coastal areas, habitat disruption and visual impact - floating offshore windfarms in deeper waters coupled with HVDC transmission is also a rapid growth market.
Also, with many countries committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 - the pressure is on to decarbonise industrial operations, thus a rapid scale-up of renewable electricity capacity is required which fits nicely with developments in green hydrogen production. Europe in particular doesn't have the large-scale solar availability of Africa and the Middle East, nor sufficient renewable alternatives to produce the large green hydrogen demand.
Thus, the need to scale up green power availability whilst minimising environmental impacts has led to industry leaders such as McDermott International, Ltd and Siemens Energy to investigate interconnected offshore windfarms with HVDC transmission & green hydrogen production via large offshore installations - acting as an independent facility.
The benefits of such facilities include;
► Immediate proximity to renewable energy sources coupled with HVDC transmission efficiency over long distance,
► Flexibility; The ability to switch between electricity and green hydrogen production based on demand and market conditions, with the ability to convert excess electricity into hydrogen.
► Scalability; Hydrogen fuel cell integration into data centers and other industries can help mitigate the environmental impact of burgeoning data demands.
Looking forward to following ambitious demonstration projects such as the 'Dolphyn Project' (Scotland, expected operational 2026) and Denmark's 'BrintØ' plus accelerated green hydrogen availability!
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