- DEC developed the world’s first CCS-approved wind-powered seawater hydrogen production platform.
- The project achieved major innovations in offshore system design, space utilisation, and cost reduction.
Dongfu Research Institute has achieved a significant global milestone by securing the world’s first Approval in Principle (AIP) for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) solution applied to a wind-powered hydrogen production platform. This achievement marks a significant step forward in integrating clean energy technologies with offshore hydrogen production. Furthermore, it underscores China’s growing capability in advanced offshore engineering and green innovation.
The institute independently developed this pioneering platform. Since the second half of 2023, it has relied on its self-designed 17 MW floating offshore wind power platform to drive a new integrated system. The team adopted the original breakthrough technology for seawater hydrogen production without desalination, a process first published by Academician Xie Heping’s team in Nature in 2022. They then overcame a series of critical challenges, including offshore power management, system-level control, and high-pressure hydrogen storage. As a result, they successfully advanced the research and development of a fully integrated floating wind power system coupled with seawater hydrogen production, eliminating the need for costly desalination.
The R&D team conducted rigorous surveys of cutting-edge technologies both in China and abroad. They focused on working conditions in deep-sea environments, operational demands of floating wind turbines, and the technical requirements of hydrogen production processes. They examined each stage, ranging from the strength of floating structures to the integration of hydrogen production modules. They also developed system-wide collaborative control mechanisms and comprehensive safety-protection measures. Each technical link underwent repeated demonstrations, and the team precisely calculated all essential parameters. They continuously verified and iterated the design through multiple rounds of optimisation.
Notably, the team achieved a significant innovation by utilising the semi-submersible platform’s internal space to its fullest extent. They arranged the seawater hydrogen production system without the need for desalination within newly added structures between and inside the columns. This approach not only maximised the use of previously unused platform space but also significantly reduced construction costs. Consequently, the project achieved a dual breakthrough in both space utilisation and cost control. Additionally, to address harsh sea conditions, the engineers designed advanced stabilisation devices that strengthened the platform’s resistance to wind and waves. These enhancements ensured safe and stable operation even in highly complex offshore environments.