Hydrogen is a leading contender to become an alternative to fossil fuel for transport and for heat and power systems. The potential for the integration of water electrolysis systems in land based and offshore wind farms is explored and compared with the conventional alternative – steam reforming of methane. Depending on the specific production technology, hydrogen can displace fossil fuels and so reduce or completely remove the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. This paper examines the principal technologies for producing hydrogen and shows how the eventual choice is likely to depend as much on political and legislative factors as on economic criteria.
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