Analysing a grid-forming storage hub for an offshore platform cluster supplied by wind energy

Abstract This paper performs an analysis of the electrification of an of-the-grid offshore oil and gas cluster of six platforms by means of a wind farm combined with a hydrogen energy hub. The latter, whose model is made publicly available, contains a grid-forming battery system and grid-following electrolysis and fuel cells units. State-of-the-art aerodynamic simulations are used for representing the wind farm power output, which encompasses wake losses and correlated wind fuctuations between turbines arising from farm-scale turbulence. One of the offshore platforms is represented by a detailed publicly available model named LEOGO. The other five platforms are represented as aggregated mixes of constant power and constant impedance loads. The computer simulations presented in the paper provide valuable insights into furthering the design and optimization of the hub concept. These insights include, among others, sizing of batteries depending on maximum ramp rates of fuel cells and electrolysers, identifying and mitigating instabilities induced by interactions among power electronic converters, and evaluating the consequences for the converters when those contribute with voltage support at the hub.