Question on costs verses options.
Offshore wind farms, like their oil platform cousins, have a major logistics problem. Building and maintaining underwater cables from each tower to a grid that then has to get the power back to shore is costly to maintain. While technically possible from deep water, there is substantial power loss while accomplishing that feat.
Would it be more efficient and cost effective in deep water situations to have each wind turbine platform a free standing unit that converts water to hydrogen? The units could be modular, wind turbine, converter, barge terminal, storage unit, etc which would simplify maintenance.
To minimize down time a modular section could be replaced with a spare while undergoing repairs. Better yet, modules could be rotated in and out for routine maintenance rather than taking an entire unit off line.
Modular barges could dock with the platform to haul the hydrogen to a terminal closer to shore. Designed properly the barges would be an integral part of the platform. The combined storage of the platform and the barge could be in excess of 1 months production to allow the unit to operate through storms. They could then move the cargo to an offshore terminal when water conditions were safer.
The central terminal could pump the hydrogen to shore and/or use it to run generators and the power could be sent to shore on a shorter set of cables. A key benefit that this layout would offer would be a more reliable power source. The hydrogen could be stockpiled for periods of low wind or peak power usage.
It also sets up nicely to support hydrogen powered vehicles as an alternative to gasoline. Even the barges could be hydrogen powered.
