Poland

Hydrogen is an energy carrier in which hopes are placed for an easier achievement of climate neutrality. Together with electrification energy efficiency development and RES hydrogen is expected to enable the ambitious energy goals of the European Green Deal. Hence the aim of the article is to query the development of the hydrogen economy in the Visegrad Group countries (V4). The study considers six diagnostic features: sources of hydrogen production hydrogen legislation financial mechanisms objectives included in the hydrogen strategy environmental impact of H2 and costs of green hydrogen investments. The analysis also allowed to indicate the role that hydrogen will play in the energy transition process of the V4 countries. The analysis shows that the V4 countries have similar approaches to the development of the hydrogen market but the hydrogen strategies published by each of the Visegrad countries are not the same. Each document sets goals based on the hydrogen production to date and the specifics of the domestic energy and transport sectors as there are no solutions that are equally effective for all. Poland’s hydrogen strategy definitely stands out the strongest.

This study presents a comprehensive methodology to evaluate plants that integrate renewable energy sources and hydrogen generation devices. The paper focuses on presenting the methods for devices’ operation assessment taking into account the annual operation. Multiple effectiveness indices have been presented. On the basis of experimental investigation with the hydrogen generator the methods for assessing its operation during start-up phase and sudden change in the supply current were proposed. The results of the experiments and the provided mathematical models show that dynamics of the hydrogen generator should be taken into account when selecting the suitable device for cooperation with variable renewable energy. It is especially important for multiple start-ups throughout the day due to significant differences in the amount of hydrogen produced by devices characterized by the same efficiency yet various time constants. Methodology for selecting the optimal nominal power for hydrogen generator to cooperate with given renewable sources was developed. It was proven the optimal power depends on the type of the renewable source and minimal load of the hydrogen generator. Several case studies including the integration of wind and solar energy farms to yield a 10 MW renewable energy farm were considered and the minimal load of the hydrogen generator impacts the annual operation of the device has been presented. The paper provides a set of tools to contribute to the development of sustainable energy plants. The methods proposed in this paper are universal and can be used for various renewable energy sources.

The state of environmental pollution brought about as a result of the modern civilization has been monitored in the interests of the environment and human health since the seventies of the last century. Ensuring the energy security is one of the most basic existential requirements for a functional civilized society. The growing civilizational needs caused by broadly understood development generate demand for the production of all kinds of goods in all sectors of the economy as well as world-wide information transfer. The current energy demand is mostly covered using fossil fuels such as coal oil and natural gas. Some of the energy demand is covered by the energy generated in nuclear reactions and a small part of it comes from renewable energy sources. Energy derived from fossil fuels is inevitably associated with fuel oxidation processes. These processes in addition to generating heat are responsible for the emission of harmful compounds to the atmosphere: carbon monoxide carbon dioxide nitrogen oxides hydrocarbons and particulate matter. These pollutants pose a serious threat to the people as well as the environment in which they live. Due to the large share of fossil fuel energy generation in the process of combustion it becomes necessary to seek other means of obtaining the so-called "clean energy". Fuel cells may have a very high potential in this respect. Their development has enabled attempts to use them in all modes of transport. An important factor in the development of fuel cells is their relatively high efficiency and the coinciding strictening of the emission norms from internal combustion engines used to power maritime transport. Therefore the aim of this article has been to assess the potential of fuel cells as a main source of propulsion power source. A review of the designs of fuel cell systems and their use was performed. The article summarizes the assessment of the potential role of fuel cells as a power source of maritime transport.

Hydrogen can be recognized as the most plausible fuel for promoting a green environment. Worldwide developed and developing countries have established their hydrogen research investment and policy frameworks. This analysis of 610 peer-reviewed journal articles from the last 50 years provides quantitative and impartial insight into the hydrogen economy. By 2030 academics and business professionals believe that hydrogen will complement other renewable energy (RE) sources in the energy revolution. This study conducts an integrative review by employing software such as Bibliometrix R-tool and VOSviewer on socio-economic consequences of hydrogen energy literature derived from the Scopus database. We observed that most research focuses on multidisciplinary concerns such as generation storage transportation application feasibility and policy development. We also present the conceptual framework derived from in-depth literature analysis as well as the interlinkage of concepts themes and aggregate dimensions to highlight research hotspots and emerging patterns. In the future factors such as green hydrogen generation hydrogen permeation and leakage management efficient storage risk assessment studies blending and techno-economic feasibility shall play a critical role in the socio-economic aspects of hydrogen energy research.  

The gasification of Polish coal to produce hydrogen could help to make the country independent of oil and gas imports and assist in the rational energy transition from gray to green hydrogen. When taking strategic economic or legislative decisions one should be guided not only by the level of CO2 emissions from the production process but also by other environmental impact factors obtained from comprehensive environmental analyses. This paper presents an analysis of the life cycle of hydrogen by coal gasification and its application in a vehicle powered by FCEV cells. All the main stages of hydrogen fuel production by Shell technology as well as hydrogen compression and transport to the distribution point are included in the analyses. In total two fuel production scenarios were considered: with and without sequestration of the carbon dioxide captured in the process. Life cycle analysis was performed according to the procedures and assumptions proposed in the FC-Hy Guide Guidance Document for performing LCAs on Fuel Cells and H2 Technologies by the CML baseline method. By applying the CO2 sequestration operation the GHG emissions rate for the assumed functional unit can be reduced by approximately 44% from 34.8 kg CO2-eq to 19.5 kg CO2-eq but this involves a concomitant increase in the acidification rate from 3.64·10−2 kg SO2-eq to 3.78·10−2 kg SO2-eq in the eutrophication index from 5.18·10−2 kg PO3− 4-eq to 5.57·10−2 kg PO3− 4-eq and in the abiotic depletion index from 405 MJ to 414 MJ and from 1.54·10−5 kg Sbeq to 1.61·10−5 kg Sbeq.

In this paper an innovative concept of an energy storage system that combines the idea of energy storage through the use of compressed air and the idea of energy storage through the use of hydrogen (with its further conversion to synthetic natural gas) has been proposed. The thermal integration of two sub-systems allows for efficient storage of large amounts of energy based on the use of pressure tanks with limited volumes. A thermodynamic assessment of the integrated hybrid system was carried out. For the assumed operation parameters an energy storage efficiency value of 38.15% was obtained which means the technology is competitive with intensively developed pure hydrogen energy storage technologies. The results obtained for the hybrid system were compared to the results obtained for three reference systems each of which uses hydrogen generators. The first is a typical Power-to-H2-to-Power system which integrates hydrogen generators with a fuel cell system. The other two additionally use a compressed air energy storage installation. In the first case the compressed air energy storage system consists of a diabatic system. In the second case the compressed air energy storage system is adiabatic. The article has discussed the disadvantages and advantages of all the analyzed systems.

In this work a metal cobalt catalyst was synthesized and its activity in the hydrogen production process was tested. The substrates were water and ethanol. Activity tests were conducted at a temperature range of 350–600 °C water to ethanol molar ratio of 3 to 5 and a feed flow of 0.4 to 1.2 mol/h. The catalyst had a specific surface area of 1.75 m2/g. The catalyst was most active at temperatures in the range of 500–600 °C. Under the most favorable conditions the ethanol conversion was 97% the hydrogen production efficiency was 4.9 mol (H2)/mol(ethanol) and coke production was very low (16 mg/h). Apart from hydrogen and coke CO2 CH4 CO and traces of C2H2 and C2H4 were formed.

This study concerns the production of hydrogen from a mixture of ethanol and water. The process was conducted in plasma generated by a spark discharge. The substrates were introduced in the liquid phase into the reactor. The gaseous products formed in the spark reactor were hydrogen carbon monoxide carbon dioxide methane acetylene and ethylene. Coke was also produced. The energy efficiency of hydrogen production was 27 mol(H2 )/kWh and it was 36% of the theoretical energy efficiency. The high value of the energy efficiency of hydrogen production was obtained with relatively high ethanol conversion (63%). In the spark discharge it was possible to conduct the process under conditions in which the ethanol conversion reached 95%. However this entailed higher energy consumption and reduced the energy efficiency of hydrogen production to 8.8 mol(H2 )/kWh. Hydrogen production increased with increasing discharge power and feed stream. However the hydrogen concentration was very high under all tested conditions and ranged from 57.5 to 61.5%. This means that the spark reactor is a device that can feed fuel cells the power load of which can fluctuate.

The present research focuses on the investigation of an in situ hydrogen charging effect during Crack Tip Opening Displacement testing (CTOD) on the fracture toughness properties of X65 pipeline steel. This grade of steel belongs to the broader category of High Strength Low Alloy Steels (HSLA) and its microstructure consists of equiaxed ferritic and bainitic grains with a low volume fraction of degenerated pearlite islands. The studied X65 steel specimens were extracted from pipes with 19.15 mm wall thickness. The fracture toughness parameters were determined after imposing the fatigue pre-cracked specimens on air on a specific electrolytic cell under a slow strain rate bending loading (according to ASTM G147-98 BS7448 and ISO12135 standards). Concerning the results of this study in the first phase the hydrogen cations’ penetration depth the diffusion coefficient of molecular and atomic hydrogen and the surficial density of blisters were determined. Next the characteristic parameters related to fracture toughness (such as J KQ CTODel CTODpl) were calculated by the aid of the Force-Crack Mouth Open Displacement curves and the relevant analytical equations.

Dark fermentation is a promising method to produce hydrogen from lignocellulosic biomass. This study assessed the influence of temperature phosphate buffer concentration and substrate concentration on direct hydrogen production form cellulose using response surface methodology. Mixed bacterial culture was successfully enriched on cellulose and used as an inoculum for hydrogen production. The model indicated that the highest cumulative hydrogen production (CHP) of 2.14 L H₂/Lmedium could be obtained at 13.5 gcellulose/L 79.5 mM buffer and 32.6 °C. However hydrogen yield is then only 0.58 mol H₂/molhexose due to low substrate conversion efficiency (SCE). Simultaneous optimization of CHP and SCE with desirability function approach resulted in the H₂ yield of 2.71 ± 0.1 mol H2/molhexose and 93.8 ± 1.8% SCE at 3.35 gcellulose/L 69 mM buffer and 32.9 °C. Phosphate concentration above 80 mM decreased H₂ production but had positive effect on cellulose consumption. The bacterial community analysis showed that Ruminiclostridium papyrosolvens was responsible for cellulose hydrolysis. Lachnoclostridium sp. was positively correlated with ethanol production at high phosphate buffer concentration while Caproiciproducens sp. with caproate production at low buffer concentration. The obtained results opens the possibility of simultaneous hydrogen and caproate production from cellulosic substrates.