Using energy from wind farms to produce green hydrogen

The Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 (EPP2040) approved on 2 February 2021 assumes a significant increase in the share of RES energy in all sectors of the economy. According to the prognosis, in 2030 the share of RES in gross final energy consumption should amount to at least 23%. The EPP2040 assumes that the development of wind and photovoltaic energy, will increase the installed capacity to approx. 8-11 GW (wind) and 10-16 GW (photovoltaic). According to the data published by the Rynek Elektryczny, the total installed capacity of RES in Poland reached 20.9 GW at the end of August 2022. It should be noted that the total installed capacity of the entire Polish energy sector (RES and conventional) in August 2022 was 59 GW. Among power plants classified as RES, the largest share was held by photovoltaics (11 GW), which accounted for 19.2% of the total installed capacity. The total capacity of wind farms was 7.7 GW (13.3%). The publication also emphasizes that in 2022, the installed capacity of photovoltaics, compared to 2021, increased by 84%, and wind farms by 12.7%. The rapid development of RES can be attributed a large increase in the price of conventional energy carriers (fossil fuels), which led to a rise in electricity prices. In June 2022, the price of electricity supply contracts was approximately PLN 884.68/MWh. For comparison, the reference price of electricity produced in wind farms, based on the results of the auction conducted by the President of the Energy Regulatory Office in December 2021, was PLN 250/MWh. Unfortunately, electricity production from wind farms depends on wind strength and characterized by high variability, often changing from hour to hour. For example, at night wind farms can operate with a capacity of over 5 GW, but in the afternoon their capacity utilization may be below 1 GW. As energy production from RES is highly unstable, its surpluses should be stored. The main purpose of this publication is to determine the amount of hydrogen that can be produced from surplus energy from a wind farm.