Enhancing offshore oil and gas platform sustainability through wind-powered hydrogen production

Decarbonizing offshore oil and gas platforms has become a critical challenge in the energy transition. In this article, we propose the following two models for decarbonizing offshore oil and gas platforms to facilitate highly challenging energy transitions: (1) repurposing decommissioned platforms as offshore wind–hydrogen hubs and (2) integrating offshore wind power and hydrogen production systems into operational platforms. This study is conducted to systematically assess the feasibility of the proposed models and further examine their technological challenges, systemic risks, and possible mitigation pathways. The results showed that wind turbines, reverse osmosis desalination, and alkaline water electrolysis have high levels of maturity, whereas subsea hydrogen pipelines and liquid/compressed hydrogen carriers remain comparatively immature. Both models can significantly lower costs, strengthen energy resilience, and reduce emissions. However, large-scale deployment is generally constrained by high capital costs, integration complexity, and fragmented regulatory frameworks. The findings highlight that reusing offshore infrastructure to integrate offshore wind power and hydrogen production systems offers cost and environmental advantages over conventional decommissioning, while integrated supply systems can ensure long-term stability through multi-energy complementarity. The study provides strategic insights for advancing low-carbon transformation and guiding the sustainable and resilient development of offshore energy systems.