Australia
Sustainability-aligned Pathways for Energy Transition: A Review of Low-carbon Energy Network Solutions
Nov 2025
Publication
Transformation of the energy sector is necessary to meet climate targets and ensure universal access to reliable and affordable energy. Despite progress more than 675 million people still lack electricity and 770 million face an unreliable power supply. Renewable energy now provides nearly 30 % of global electricity generation and represents approximately 17.9 % of total final energy consumption. This amount is insufficient for the 1.5 ◦C pathway and requires a tripling of renewable capacity by 2030. Energy efficiency also lags with average annual gains of 1.6 % compared with the 4 % required for climate-aligned energy scenarios. Therefore this paper reviews pathways toward decentralized low-carbon solutions that can accelerate global energy transformation. The review paper examines how technologies such as microgrids virtual power plants energy storage systems and vehicleto-grid (V2G) solutions are reshaping modern energy systems. It highlights that digitalization smart grids and sector integration are key to building flexible and consumer-focused networks. However achieving sustainable energy access requires more than new technologies. Strong governance fair financing and social inclusion are equally important to ensure a just and balanced energy transition. Case studies from Asia Africa and Latin America show how policy innovative financing and regional cooperation can drive progress despite challenges such as underinvestment fossil fuel dependency and energy poverty. The review demonstrates that an integrated approach combining technological innovation financial mechanisms and inclusive policies can collectively build low-carbon resilient and equitable energy systems.
High-resolution AI-based Forecasting and Techno-economic Assessment of Green Hydrogen Production from a Hybrid PV/Wind System at the Regional Scale
Oct 2025
Publication
This study presents a comprehensive framework that integrates high-resolution energy forecasting and technoeconomic modeling to assess green hydrogen production potential in Flanders Belgium. Using 15-min interval data from the Elia Group four deep learning models (LSTM BiLSTM GRU and CNN-LSTM) were developed to forecast regional photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind energy generation. These forecasts informed the estimation of hydrogen yields and the evaluation of the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) under different configurations. Results show that wind-powered hydrogen production achieves the lowest LCOH (6.63 €/kg) due to higher annual operating hours. Among electrolysis technologies alkaline electrolysis (AEL) offers the lowest cost while proton exchange membrane (PEMEL) provides greater flexibility for intermittent power sources. The hybrid PVwind system demonstrated seasonal complementarity increasing annual hydrogen yield and improving production stability. The proposed framework supports regional planning and highlights strategic investment opportunities for cost-effective green hydrogen deployment.
Designing and Long-term Planning for Household Hydrogen Supply Chain in Australia
Nov 2025
Publication
This study presents the development of the long-term Household Hydrogen Supply Chain (HHSC) model aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of household energy consumption. Structured across three strategic phases: foundation expansion and maturation the model facilitates the systematic phase-out of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 2045 and natural gas (NG) by 2080. Employing demand estimation methodologies grounded in historical data and exponential decay functions the study forecasts long-term hydrogen adoption trajectories and allocates regional demand to optimise infrastructure placement. A network optimisation model identifies the optimal locations and capacities of national regional and local distribution centres (NDCs RDCs and LDCs). This staged development ensures operational scalability geographic equity and financial viability. A key finding is the substantial increase in profitability from $479 million in 2026 to $88.26 billion by 2090 driven by infrastructure growth and increasing hydrogen demand. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the adoption during the mid years (2040–2060) is particularly vulnerable to cost fluctuations. The model supports net-zero 2050 goals and aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDGs 7 9 and 13. While the HHSC provides a structured pathway for long-term hydrogen transition future research should focus on enhancing the resilience of the HHSC by incorporating real-time data integration assessing vulnerability to supply chain disruptions and developing risk mitigation strategies to ensure continuity and scalability in hydrogen delivery under uncertain operating conditions.
Enhancing System Stability in Power-to-gas Applications: Integrating Biological Hydrogen Methanation and Microbial Electrolysis Cells under Hydrogen Overloading in Various Injection Modes
Nov 2025
Publication
Volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation is a common issue that compromises the performance of biological hydrogen methanation systems (BHMs). This accumulation is often triggered by fluctuations in hydrogen supply which can disrupt microbial activity and lead to system instability. To address this challenge this study investigated the impact of employing a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) in BHMs to mitigate system instability and acid buildup. As such a conventional anaerobic digester (AD) and a microbial electrolysis cell both supplemented with exogenous hydrogen were evaluated for their performance in hydrogen methanation. The effect of exogenous hydrogen at high addition rates (>4:1 CO2:H2 molar ratio) under instantaneous and gradual injection modes was investigated. The results showed that the instantaneous addition of hydrogen resulted in the total failure of the anaerobic digestion system. Propionate accumulated in the system (>2 g/L) and resulted in low pH (pH=5.3). Methane production stopped and the reactor never recovered from hydrogen shock. However the microbial electrolysis system was able to withstand the instantaneous hydrogen addition and maintain normal operation under toxic hydrogen addition levels (>4:1 CO2:H2 molar ratio). Under the gradual injection mode both MEC and AD reactors remained reasonably unaffected; even though the hydrogen injection exceeded the stoichiometric molar ratio. This study provides a new perspective on the application of MECs for reliable operation and storage of surplus renewable energy via biological hydrogen methanation.
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