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The Innovation Energy > 2026 Vol. 3 > No. 2 > 100145
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Technical trajectories and cost effectiveness of offshore wind driven green hydrogen production

  • 1.

    State Key Laboratory of Crane Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004, China

  • 2.

    Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

  • 3.

    College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

  • 4.

    Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QZ, UK

  • 5.

    Xinjiang Institute of Enginering, Xinjiang 830023, China

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  • Corresponding author: hanmy@igsnrr.ac.cn (M. H.) 
  • Received Date:  May 20, 2025
    Accepted Date:  January 13, 2026
    Published Online:  April 23, 2026
The Innovation Energy  3(2),  https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-energy.2026.100145  |  Cite this article
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    1. Offshore wind-powered hydrogen production via AWE, PEMWE, and SOEC offers a key pathway for deep decarbonization.

      Spatial analysis reveals significant potential in Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Bohai Sea regions, with levelized costs projected to fall to $1.5/kg by 2030.

      This near-zero emission technology produces hydrogen with a carbon footprint of only 0.4~0.8 kg CO2 eq/kg H2, critically supporting dual carbon goals.

    • ABSTRACT
  • Hydrogen production from offshore wind power is a key pathway for deep decarbonization, converting abundant wind energy into green hydrogen to support energy system transformation. This report systematically analyzes its technical pathways, resource potential, spatial distribution, and economic and environmental benefits, reviews the applicability of mainstream water electrolysis technologies, including alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), and solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) in marine environments. The study also compares three system configurations, i.e., offshore centralized, offshore distributed, and onshore centralized hydrogen production. Spatial analysis reveals significant regional agglomeration, with Zhejiang and Guangdong exhibiting the highest marine resource potential, while Liaoning and Hebei around the Bohai Sea showing strategic advantages due to their proximity to load centers and established infrastructure. Economically, strategic policy interventions could reduce electrolyzer costs by 40% in the near term and up to 80% over the longer term, according to IRENA. The IEA projects that the levelized cost of hydrogen from offshore wind could fall to approximately $1.5/kg by 2030 in favorable regions, achieving cost-competitiveness with blue hydrogen. Environmentally, the life-cycle carbon footprint of offshore wind-based hydrogen is only 0.4–0.8 kg CO2 eq/kg H2, significantly lower than the 9.3–11.9 kg CO2 eq/kg H2 of grey hydrogen. By prioritizing resource-rich coastal provinces with strong industrial bases, this approach offers a near-zero emission solution, providing a critical technical pathway toward achieving dual carbon goals.
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  • Cite this article:

    Liu S., Li X., Han M., et al. (2026). Technical trajectories and cost effectiveness of offshore wind driven green hydrogen production. The Innovation Energy 3:100145. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-energy.2026.100145
    Liu S., Li X., Han M., et al. (2026). Technical trajectories and cost effectiveness of offshore wind driven green hydrogen production. The Innovation Energy 3:100145. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-energy.2026.100145

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