Hydrogen as a Means of Transporting and Balancing Wind Power Production

Fluctuating and meteorologically determined energy sources can only be absorbed into electricity transmission grids to a limited extent. From a share of 25% of wind energy contribution in the network load upwards, excess energy production will occur in most European electricity distribution systems. To avoid this, a storage medium needs to be incorporated in the wind power or generation system that allows a flexible usage of surplus power. Hydrogen can offer such a medium and furthermore displays several further interesting characteristics: - hydrogen can be re-converted to electricity at a reasonably high efficiency - hydrogen can constitute an alternative for energy transportation, for instance using pipelines where cables are not desired, whilst offering high energy densities and low transportation losses - hydrogen can be sold as an industrial gas or fuel outside the electricity market thus on one hand reducing price pressure in those markets and on the other hand forming new, alternative markets for renewable energies and transport fuels.