WHYBS – Wind and hydrogen systems

Artur Zarske

The rapid expansion of renewable energy generation presents significant opportunities for building a fully sustainable energy system. At the same time, integrating variable wind and solar power into regional electricity grids remains a complex challenge. My PhD research, conducted as part of the WHYBS (Wind and Hydrogen Systems) project, explores how large-scale offshore wind farms can be integrated with hydrogen production to provide flexible energy storage, support sustainable transport, enhance the stability of island electricity grids such as Gotland's, and contribute to the green transition.

By developing optimisation models for both system planning and operational control, our research aims to create effective and practical strategies for integrating wind and hydrogen systems. It also seeks to improve our understanding of the current and future challenges these systems are likely to encounter.

A central focus of our work is investigating how different wind farm control strategies and environmental conditions affect both electricity generation and hydrogen production. We develop models to simulate and optimise the interaction between variable wind resources and hydrogen storage and distribution systems, providing valuable insights for the design of resilient and scalable energy infrastructures. Ultimately, the goal is to translate the technical potential of wind and hydrogen systems into practical solutions that support a sustainable energy transition.

About me

I hold a BEng in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering and an MEng in Process Engineering, both from Berlin University of Applied Sciences and Technology (BHT). Building on a strong foundation in process engineering and simulation, I am currently pursuing a PhD in Renewable Energy Engineering at Uppsala University. My research combines energy systems analysis, computational modelling and system optimisation, bridging technical expertise with applied problem-solving.

I am driven by a commitment to developing practical solutions for a sustainable energy future and supporting the effective integration of renewable technologies into real-world energy systems.

Mandar Kadwekar

The Wind and Hydrogen Project (WHBYS) aims to support Gotland’s transition towards a fully renewable energy system by developing sustainable solutions that help minimise carbon emissions. One of the main goals of the project is to use excess electricity generated by wind farms during periods of low grid demand to produce green hydrogen.

However, wind power is inherently variable due to fluctuations in wind speed and atmospheric conditions. At the same time, electrolysers require time to reach suitable operating temperatures and pressures before hydrogen production can begin efficiently.

Having advance knowledge of the power output that a wind farm is likely to generate can therefore help the hydrogen production system prepare for periods of excess wind energy. This is where my PhD project comes in.

My PhD research focuses on developing machine learning and surrogate models for short-term power forecasting in offshore wind farms. A key part of this work is identifying the large-scale flow patterns and atmospheric conditions that have the greatest influence on wind-farm power production.

The project will rely on the development of a large, high-resolution database of atmospheric and wind-farm flow fields generated using large-eddy simulations (LES) with the EllipSys3D solver, in close collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

The resulting database will then be used to develop and train surrogate models capable of providing fast and efficient forecasts of wind-farm power production.

About me

I usually introduce myself as an engineer with a strong interest in fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, combined with experience in numerical methods and computational modelling. These days, however, I sometimes describe myself as a data scientist because of the large amount of data I handle in my PhD research.

I hold a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from ITM University in India and a master's degree in Mechanical and Process Engineering from the Technical University of Freiberg, Germany. My academic background has provided me with a strong foundation in fluid mechanics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

During my master's thesis, I simulated atmospheric boundary layer flows to evaluate wind conditions at potential onshore wind farm sites. This experience ultimately led me to pursue my current PhD research. I am highly motivated to apply my knowledge to sustainability challenges, such as developing energy sources with a lower carbon footprint, which is what drew me to the field of wind energy.