Generation of green hydrogen from wind energy in Huanchaco—La Libertad, Peru

Castillo-Vargas S.-A.; Villoslada-Chilón A.-M.; Leiva-Piedra J.-L.; Ramirez-Juidias E. · Clean Energy Science and Technology (2026) · DOI: 10.18686/cest795

Resumen

This study evaluates the technical potential for green hydrogen production from wind energy in the coastal district of Huanchaco, located in the La Libertad region of northern Peru. A long-term dataset of hourly wind speed records from 2010 to 2024, obtained from the NASA POWER (MERRA-2) database, was used to characterize the wind resource. Wind speeds measured at 50 m were extrapolated to the turbine hub height (80 m) using the power law. The statistical behavior of wind speed was modeled using a two-parameter Weibull distribution, with parameters estimated through the Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM), achieving an excellent fit (R2> 0.99; RMSE < 0.01). The results indicate a moderate but seasonally stable wind regime, with monthly wind power density values ranging from 71 to 216 W/m2and capacity factors between 0.17 and 0.32 for a Siemens Gamesa SG 2.1-114 wind turbine. The estimated annual electricity generation reaches approximately 4.65 GWh, enabling a hydrogen production of about 77.6 t per year through proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis, assuming a specific energy consumption of 54 kWh/kg and a rectifier efficiency of 90%. A preliminary economic analysis yields a levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) of approximately 7.1 USD/kg under current investment conditions. These findings demonstrate that coastal regions, characterized by moderate but temporally stable wind regimes, can support technically viable configurations for decentralized green hydrogen production. The study provides region-specific quantitative evidence that contributes to energy planning and highlights the importance of considering both wind resource magnitude and temporal stability in wind-to-hydrogen system assessments.

Instituciones: Universidad Tecnológica del Perú