Objectives

The FlexH2 project will design a novel offshore wind and onshore hydrogen production concept.

By the end of the FlexH2 project, the aim is to develop the following:

1. A lightweight and compact HVDC transmission system utilising a line-commutated converter in the offshore substation. This will be achieved by developing grid-forming offshore wind turbines. As a result, we expect to reduce the offshore wind transmission infrastructure LCOE by 30% compared to typical MMC-VSC HVDC power infrastructure.
2. An MW-level AC/DC solid-state transformer: compared with the conventional line frequency transformer, our transformer reduces the weight and volume, respectively, by 20% and 30%.
3. A flexible grid interface: offering the flexibility to regulate the power export/import while respecting the technical constraints imposed on the production (i.e., offshore wind production) and demand-side (i.e., hydrogen electrolysis).
4. A modular energy and risk management system: to optimise its integration with the existing electric infrastructure and hydrogen infrastructure.

Leveraging these technological innovations, the FlexH2 project can reduce the overall Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) for green hydrogen by 0.35 €/kg, therefore providing a cost-competitive solution for the CO2 emission reduction for both the green hydrogen project developers (e.g. private energy company, utility, private investor .etc) and end-users (e.g., industry, mobility, residential user etc.).

The project's outcome will provide the basis for the accelerated development of Power-to-H2 projects in the Netherlands before 2030.