Joint Optimization of Layout and Electrolyzer Capacity for Decentralized Offshore Wind-Powered Hydrogen Production

Recently, there has been a surge in interest globally for offshore wind-powered hydrogen production (OWPHP) as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. To cut the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of the decentralized OWPHP, we propose a joint optimization model that simultaneously optimizes the wind farm layout and electrolyzer capacity, accounting for the wake effect among turbines. Further, to address the computational complexities, a bi-level distributed decomposition method (BLDDM) is developed, which could decompose the primary problem into several subproblems in a hierarchical and distributed manner, allowing the efficient solution with alternating direction method of multipliers. Case studies are conducted based on actual data to validate the effectiveness of the model, demonstrating that the joint optimization approach would significantly reduce the LCOH compared to the individual approach. Meanwhile, the proposed BLDDM has a better computational performance than the commonly used nonlinear optimization algorithms.