A central challenge in realising the potential of green hydrogen is figuring out how to scale the production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources to a capacity that meets the global demand for green fuel. At the same time, renewable energy needs to be integrated successfully into our existing energy systems. In the heart of Jutland, some of the important work to solve this puzzle is being carried out right now with the Brande Hydrogen Project.

The Brande Hydrogen Project, built by SiemensGamesa, is pioneering a solution where a 3MW wind turbine is directly connected to an electrolyser without a grid connection. The Brande Hydrogen setup couples an existing onshore Siemens Gamesa SWT 3.0-113 DD wind turbine with an electrolyzer stack from electrolysis partner Green Hydrogen Systems.

The 3MW wind turbine owned by local partner Uhre Windpower, will produce clean electricity to power a 400 kW electrolyzer. This machine splits water into oxygen and hydrogen, so that the hydrogen can be stored and later delivered to customers in the mobility sector.  The setup can go into a so-called “Island Mode”; meaning that the electrolysis rig system runs while disconnected from the grid. This one-of-a-kind model enables the project to test the integration of the electrolyser with a variable renewable energy source, and the efficiency of the electrolyser system over time.

The green hydrogen produced is distributed by Everfuel to taxis across Denmark.

Additionally, The Danish government has designated the Brande Hydrogen project as an official regulatory energy test zone, a one-of-a-kind permit in Europe. This permit exempts the project from some of the energy sector regulations in Denmark. This grant brings us closer to solving another big challenge in the green energy transition: Integrating unprecedented amounts of renewable energy into the energy system.

In addition to providing 50-70 taxis with 100% green fuel daily, this solution demonstrates that green hydrogen can be produced cost-efficiently, reliably, and effectively from wind power. Carbon-free hydrogen, derived from low-cost, competitive wind power, can be stored and transported for use on demand. This facility will provide insights that will be crucial to scaling up the technology to much larger turbines and wind farms both on land and at sea. Thus, The Brande Hydrogen Project serves as an important step in making large-scale, cost-efficient hydrogen production a reality. The future vision is one where cheap and ample energy production can be utilized in hard-to-abate sectors, thereby contributing to the decarbonization of the entire energy sector, including transportation and heavy industry.

The Brande Hydrogen Project is the first milestone of a new era of offshore green hydrogen production that will power a cleaner future. Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy target a total investment of approximately EUR 120 million over the next five years in the development of this innovative solution, with a full-scale offshore demonstration expected by 2025/2026.

This project also helps demonstrate what is needed from governments and international bodies to encourage the growth of the nascent renewable hydrogen sector, removing the barriers to entry, increasing available opportunities, and encouraging cooperation among renewable energy suppliers and hard-to-electrify sectors along the way.