Synergy of green hydrogen sector with offshore industries: Opportunities and challenges for a safe and sustainable hydrogen economy

Abstract

Offshore industries seek cleaner energy solutions to decarbonise their energy systems and reach the net-zero target. Green hydrogen has the potential to decarbonise these industries. Since these offshore systems and technologies are relatively novel, there is a limited understanding of the opportunities and challenges that the green hydrogen industry presents. An overview of the status of the offshore industries, including renewables, in terms of energy demand and the significance of green hydrogen in their sustainable growth is provided. This study analyses the benefits and limitations of integrating offshore renewable energy systems with aquaculture, shipping and port, and oil and gas industries. Considering the characteristics of green hydrogen, the study portrays the picture of its engineering opportunities and challenges for different offshore sectors, which is currently missing in the literature. Based on a comprehensive review, knowledge gaps and research opportunities are identified for green hydrogen and aquaculture, shipping and port, and oil and gas industries symbiosis. Overall, the study provides an in-depth insight into the offshore renewable and marine industry's status in terms of energy demand, sustainability challenges, and opportunities to enhance growth by adopting newer technologies, including synergy with hydrogen. Critical analyses in this review suggest that green hydrogen synergy can facilitate the offshore and coastal industries clean and sustainable growth by furnishing proliferation opportunities for clean energy. Further, the derived implication and future directions of this critical review will assist the stakeholders, researchers, and developers in establishing and executing effective frameworks for sustainable and safe offshore clean energy facilities and operations.