Dynamic scheduling of wind energy for hydrogen production by electrolysis

A common obstacle to the development of wind energy in many parts of the United States is the difficulty in adding wind-generated electricity onto transmission lines that are already constrained. Building new lines is costly and time consuming requiring acquisition of rights-of-way and multiple permitting and approval process before lines can be constructed. By using grid-connected wind energy to create hydrogen through electrolysis, the impacts of transmission system constraints on the development of renewable energy resources can be largely mitigated, allowing for a greater number of wind energy installations. Central to this concept is the dynamic scheduling of the electrolyzer to match the wind energy produced. In this paper, the dynamic scheduling approach of a pilot wind-to-hydrogen project in North Dakota is presented and analyzed.