Work has begun to develop the pipelines for a new generation of offshore turbines capable of supplying wind hydrogen. The initiative is the result of the agreement signed at the beginning of December between the Spanish multinational Siemens Gamesa and the Dutch manufacturer of composite pipes Strohm. An agreement that could take a step forward in the project launched by Siemens Gamesa.
The company has in fact joined forces with Siemens Energy to build new marine wind turbines equipped with electrolysis systems; highly integrated systems that store the electricity produced by the blades directly in the H2 vector. And in time of need they send it ashore via submarine conduits.
is it feasible? For now, the project is still in the early stages. The multinational’s engineers are adapting the SG14-222 DD, currently one of the most powerful turbines in the world, to generate wind hydrogen. A job that will also require the development of a system for the desalination of sea water.
“Siemens Energy is developing a new electrolysis product that meets the needs of the harsh offshore marine environment and is perfectly synchronized with the wind turbine,” the company website reads. “The developments will serve as a test bed for large-scale and cost-effective hydrogen production. And they will demonstrate the feasibility of a reliable and effective implementation of modular systems from wind to hydrogen “.
Pipes instead of power lines
In this context, the agreement with Strohm will make it possible to complete the technological framework. How? Developing ad hoc solutions for the transfer of the carrier to the ground. The Dutch company is now the world’s first and largest producer of fully bonded thermoplastic composite pipes, elements that could prove particularly suitable for the submarine transport of this gas. The technology, in fact, resists corrosion and stress, offers innate flexibility and can be easily connected to the system. Guaranteeing over 30 years of maintenance free operation.
Explains Finn Daugaard Madsen, head of innovation – Power to X at Siemens Gamesa. “We believe in the potential of green hydrogen and have been working on the concept of decentralization for some years. Strohm has supported us through several case studies, identifying solutions that can be readily used by completing our systems. This partnership will help us innovate together in an open format, accelerating the availability of green H2 ”.