A floating wind power coupled with seawater hydrogen production platform, independently developed by Dongfu Research Institute, has successfully obtained the Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate from China Classification Society (CCS), becoming the world's first floating wind-hydrogen platform to receive such certification. This marks a key technological breakthrough for China in the field of deep-sea renewable energy equipment.
After a comprehensive review by CCS, the platform's system design was confirmed as scientifically sound, safe, and feasible. It fully meets preset functional requirements in core aspects such as overall layout, stability control, motion performance, foundation structure, mooring safety, firefighting equipment configuration, power supply optimization, and explosion-proof design, ensuring stable operation under specified marine conditions.
With near-shore wind power resources nearing saturation in China, the expansion of offshore wind power into deeper waters has become inevitable. Floating wind power will play a crucial role in this transition. However, transmitting electricity from remote deep-sea locations poses technical and cost challenges. Therefore, integrating offshore wind power with high-value products, such as hydrogen production, is key to maximizing efficiency. Floating wind-hydrogen hybrid platforms have thus emerged as a major research focus in the global offshore wind and marine engineering sectors.
Since the second half of 2023, Dongfu Research Institute has leveraged its self-developed 17 MW floating offshore wind power platform and integrated the original seawater hydrogen production technology published in *Nature* by Academician Xie Heping's team in 2022. By overcoming key challenges in offshore power management, system control, and high-pressure hydrogen storage, the institute successfully developed the floating wind-hydrogen hybrid platform.
The R&D team conducted in-depth research on advanced global technologies and iteratively optimized the design. By innovatively utilizing the semi-submersible platform space, they installed the seawater hydrogen production system between and inside the platform’s columns, efficiently utilizing idle space while significantly reducing additional construction costs. To address harsh sea conditions, the team designed advanced stabilization devices to enhance the system’s resistance to wind and waves, ensuring safe and stable operation in more complex marine environments.
Established in August 2022, Dongfu Research Institute is a state-owned enterprise jointly founded by China Dongfang Electric Corporation, the Fujian Provincial Government, and the Fuzhou Municipal Government. The AIP certification represents a major breakthrough for both Dongfang Electric and Fujian Province in the highly competitive global field of "floating offshore wind power + seawater hydrogen production," laying a crucial foundation for the industrialization of China’s next-generation marine engineering equipment.
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