Offshore wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has signed a collaboration agreement with Strohm, a company specializing in Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) construction.
The duo said Tuesday it planned to develop hydrogen transfer solutions that improve the decentralized green hydrogen concept, where green hydrogen is generated in each wind turbine generator and transported to shore by a subsea pipe infrastructure.
In this concept power cables are replaced by a pipe infrastructure, storing and transferring hydrogen. Siemens Gamesa has a technical advisory role.
Strohm designs and manufactures TCP, which, according to the company, is particularly suited for carrying hydrogen offshore and subsea.
Produced at its plant in The Netherlands, the corrosion-resistant technology does not fatigue or suffer from issues associated with using steel pipe for hydrogen, such as embrittlement, according to Strohm, formerly known as Airborne Oil and Gas.
Manufactured in long spoolable lengths and flexible in nature, the pipe can be pulled directly into the wind turbine generator, quickly and cost-effectively building an offshore wind farm infrastructure, Strohm said.
According to Strohm, TCP does not require any maintenance and is suitable for over 30 years in operation, lowering the Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) to a minimum and enabling the decentralized concept solution.
"As pioneer in the wind industry and leader in offshore wind, Siemens Gamesa has already taken significant steps in shaping the industry and developing the basis for a decentralized offshore solution, that fully integrates an electrolyzer into an offshore wind turbine, with clear benefits and value-add potential such as capex reduction, increase of system efficiency, and increase of wind farm uptime," Strohm said.
Credit: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
'Missing Link'
Martin van Onna, chief commercial officer at Strohm, says: “This is a truly exciting collaboration, working with Siemens Gamesa to understand how TCP can be the missing link in an offshore wind farm, generating green hydrogen. The key attributes of TCP - flexibility, no corrosion or maintenance requirements - allow for the most cost-effective infrastructure on a given wind farm. Our proven track record with TCP offshore is a pre-requisite to be considered a solution in future green hydrogen.”
Finn Daugaard Madsen, innovation manager – Power to X at Siemens Gamesa, added: “At Siemens Gamesa, we believe in the potential of green hydrogen and have been working on the decentralized concept for some years. Strohm has supported us through several case studies, identifying the solutions that can be readily used which complement our own systems. This partnership will assist us to innovate together in an open format, accelerating the availability of green hydrogen.”
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