A method for spatially resolved techno-economic assessment of offshore wind-to-hydrogen systems: A northern Adriatic Sea case study

The evolving global energy landscape increasingly positions hydrogen as a key element in the transition toward a sustainable, carbon–neutral society. Concurrently, offshore wind renewable energy offers significant untapped potential. Using it to produce green hydrogen offshore presents a promising pathway to efficiently harness this resource for large-scale hydrogen generation. This work proposes a method for a georeferenced information system-based techno-economic assessment of hydrogen producibility (kt/year) and levelized cost at ports (€/kg), assuming an offshore system powered by wind energy that delivers hydrogen onshore via a dedicated pipeline. The flexibility of the method allows for its application across different offshore domains with high reproducibility. The techno-economic model is applied to a case study covering the northern Adriatic Sea, where the estimated hydrogen producibility ranges between 0.45 and 1.25 kt/year. This domain also serves as the basis for sensitivity analyses, which explore optimal design assumptions for the electrolyzer system, including efficiency and sizing. The results underscore the importance of a preliminary spatial eligibility assessment and the adequacy of approximating electrolyzer variable efficiency with its average value. Despite some periods of low utilization, the cost-optimal electrolyzer size resulted equal to the installed capacity of the offshore wind farm across all locations. Key cost-efficient hotspots are identified in both shallow and deep waters, with offshore levelized cost of electricity between 60 and 140 €/MWh, and levelized costs of hydrogen between 5 and 6 €/kg. These findings highlight the spatial dependence of hydrogen cost on critical parameters, particularly water depth and distance to ports.