Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea
Abstract Offshore production of hydrogen powered by offshore wind energy offers a promising alternative to fossil fuels. However, current technologies return waste heat and brine into the sea, raising questions of potential effects on local and regional hydrography. This study evaluates the hydrogra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | npj Ocean Sustainability |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00121-w |
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| author | Nils Christiansen Ute Daewel Leopold Krings Corinna Schrum |
| author_facet | Nils Christiansen Ute Daewel Leopold Krings Corinna Schrum |
| author_sort | Nils Christiansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Offshore production of hydrogen powered by offshore wind energy offers a promising alternative to fossil fuels. However, current technologies return waste heat and brine into the sea, raising questions of potential effects on local and regional hydrography. This study evaluates the hydrographic footprint of offshore hydrogen in the context of anthropogenic pressures from offshore energy production, focusing on a scenario for the German Bight. Cross-scale modeling shows that waste heat emerges as the primary influence, causing temperature changes of up to 2 °C within 10’s of meters around a 500 MW hydrogen plant. While tides prove to be decisive for the dilution of density plumes, we demonstrate that production capacity and discharge method determine the hydrographic footprint. Large-scale effects are minor and negligible compared to the impact of offshore wind farm wakes, however, waste heat can raise annual mean sea surface temperature by up to 0.2 °C near production sites. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd8d33d3576f4fc3aebf59920fc09b1d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-426X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Ocean Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd8d33d3576f4fc3aebf59920fc09b1d2025-08-20T03:53:11ZengNature Portfolionpj Ocean Sustainability2731-426X2025-05-014111410.1038/s44183-025-00121-wOffshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North SeaNils Christiansen0Ute Daewel1Leopold Krings2Corinna Schrum3Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum HereonInstitute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereoncruh21 GmbH, Ludwig-Erhard-Straße 1Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling, Helmholtz-Zentrum HereonAbstract Offshore production of hydrogen powered by offshore wind energy offers a promising alternative to fossil fuels. However, current technologies return waste heat and brine into the sea, raising questions of potential effects on local and regional hydrography. This study evaluates the hydrographic footprint of offshore hydrogen in the context of anthropogenic pressures from offshore energy production, focusing on a scenario for the German Bight. Cross-scale modeling shows that waste heat emerges as the primary influence, causing temperature changes of up to 2 °C within 10’s of meters around a 500 MW hydrogen plant. While tides prove to be decisive for the dilution of density plumes, we demonstrate that production capacity and discharge method determine the hydrographic footprint. Large-scale effects are minor and negligible compared to the impact of offshore wind farm wakes, however, waste heat can raise annual mean sea surface temperature by up to 0.2 °C near production sites.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00121-w |
| spellingShingle | Nils Christiansen Ute Daewel Leopold Krings Corinna Schrum Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea npj Ocean Sustainability |
| title | Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea |
| title_full | Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea |
| title_fullStr | Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea |
| title_short | Offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the North Sea |
| title_sort | offshore hydrogen production leaves a local hydrographic footprint on stratification in the north sea |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00121-w |
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