Layout optimization of the “Pipe+Ship” transmission network for the decentralized offshore wind power-hydrogen production

Decentralized offshore wind power to hydrogen production is one of the potential solutions for wind energy utilization in deep sea area, of which the electrolysis is integrated with the wind turbine, so that how to gather and transport the produced hydrogen from the decentralized wind turbines to the processing terminals becomes very crucial. This paper focuses on this topic and proposes a mixed-integer linear programming model to optimize the layout of the "ship+pipe" transmission system, aiming at minimizing the average annual total cost. Through the model, the locations and sizes of hydrogen gathering platforms, their allocations with wind turbines, the shipping routes could all be figured out. Two aspects of contributions are made in this work. First, the concept of "Pipe + Ship" transmission mode is proposed, providing a feasible solution for offshore hydrogen transportation with long distance; Second, the proposed model integrates subsea pipe network and the sea level shipping route as a whole system, revealing their interactions. Case studies present the model's validity and feasibility as well as providing inspirations about the investment management.