Uzbekistan
Economic and Environmental Analyses of an Integrated Power and Hydrogen Production Systems Based on Solar Thermal Energy
Aug 2024
Publication
This study introduces a novel hybrid solar–biomass cogeneration power plant that efficiently produces heat electricity carbon dioxide and hydrogen using concentrated solar power and syngas from cotton stalk biomass. Detailed exergy-based thermodynamic economic and environmental analyses demonstrate that the optimized system achieves an exergy efficiency of 48.67% and an exergoeconomic factor of 80.65% and produces 51.5 MW of electricity 23.3 MW of heat and 8334.4 kg/h of hydrogen from 87156.4 kg/h of biomass. The study explores four scenarios for green hydrogen production pathways including chemical looping reforming and supercritical water gasification highlighting significant improvements in levelized costs and the environmental impact compared with other solar-based hybrid systems. Systems 2 and 3 exhibit superior performance with levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) of 49.2 USD/MWh and 55.4 USD/MWh and levelized costs of hydrogen (LCOH) of between 10.7 and 19.5 USD/MWh. The exergoenvironmental impact factor ranges from 66.2% to 73.9% with an environmental impact rate of 5.4–7.1 Pts/MWh. Despite high irreversibility challenges the integration of solar energy significantly enhances the system’s exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental performance making it a promising alternative as fossil fuel reserves decline. To improve competitiveness addressing process efficiency and cost reduction in solar concentrators and receivers is crucial.
Research on Hydrogen Production System Technology Based on Photovoltaic-Photothermal Coupling Electrolyzer
Dec 2023
Publication
Solar hydrogen production technology is a key technology for building a clean low-carbon safe and efficient energy system. At present the intermittency and volatility of renewable energy have caused a lot of “wind and light.” By combining renewable energy with electrolytic water technology to produce high-purity hydrogen and oxygen which can be converted into electricity the utilization rate of renewable energy can be effectively improved while helping to improve the solar hydrogen production system. This paper summarizes and analyzes the research status and development direction of solar hydrogen production technology from three aspects. Energy supply mode: the role of solar PV systems and PT systems in this technology is analyzed. System control: the key technology and system structure of different types of electrolytic cells are introduced in detail. System economy: the economy and improvement measures of electrolytic cells are analyzed from the perspectives of cost consumption efficiency and durability. Finally the development prospects of solar hydrogen production systems in China are summarized and anticipated. This article reviews the current research status of photovoltaic-photothermal coupled electrolysis cell systems fills the current research gap and provides theoretical reference for the further development of solar hydrogen production systems.
Advancing Sustainable Energy Transitions: Insights on Finance, Policy, Infrastructure, and Demand-side Integration
Nov 2025
Publication
Achieving the 1.5 ◦C global temperature target and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 require a fundamental transformation of energy systems driven by the rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies and underpinned by systemic policy financial and infrastructural reform. The manuscript adopts a literature-driven approach synthesizing findings from existing scholarly sources that shape the transition to sustainable energy systems. It begins by outlining global progress toward climate targets emphasizing the critical role of renewable energy in decarbonizing electricity industry and transport sectors. The manuscript explores recent technological advancements and trends in solar wind hydrogen and emerging clean technologies highlighting their impact on global energy supply chains and production models. Particular attention is given to the complexities of integrating renewable energy into existing infrastructure including grid modernization digitaliation and storage technologies. On the demand side the article examines changing consumption patterns electrification and the role of distributed generation in shaping future energy landscapes. Investment and finance emerge as central challenges with the paper analyzing the disparities in capital costs between developed and developing economies and the need for innovative green finance instruments to de-risk investment. The manuscript further identifies structural barriers including policy uncertainty supply chain constraints and permitting delays as key impediments to progress. Nonetheless the article outlines significant opportunities for scaling up renewable deployment through international cooperation targeted subsidies and public-private partnerships. The manuscript concludes by emphasizing the necessity of coherent and enforceable policy frameworks to align national commitments with global climate goals. It calls for an integrated multi-stakeholder approach to ensure that finance infrastructure demand and governance evolve in tandem thereby enabling a just inclusive and resilient global energy transition.
Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen–Ammonia Fuel Blends in Tugboat Engines for Sustainable Port Operations
Nov 2025
Publication
The maritime sector responsible for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is under growing pressure to transition toward climate-neutral operations. Significant progress has been made in developing sustainable fuels and propulsion systems to meet these demands. Although electric propulsion and fuel cells are highlighted as key technologies for achieving net-zero carbon targets they remain an immature solution for large-scale maritime use particularly in long-distance shipping. Therefore modifying internal combustion engines and employing alternative fuels emerge as more feasible transition strategies especially in short-sea shipping and port applications such as tugboat operations. Among alternative fuels hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3) have emerged as the most prominent fuels in recent years due to their carbon-free nature and compatibility with existing marine compression ignition (CI) engines with only minor modifications. This study explores the viability of hydrogen and ammonia as alternative fuels for CI engines in terms of technological economic and environmental aspects. Also using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework this study examines the environmental impacts and feasibility of gray blue and green hydrogen and ammonia production pathways. The analysis is conducted from both well-to-tank (WtT) and tank-to-wake (TtW) perspectives. The results demonstrate that green fuel production pathways significantly reduce emissions but lead to higher economic costs while intermediate blends offer a balanced trade-off between environmental and financial performance. Moreover the combustion stage analysis indicates that H2 and NH3 provide substantial environmental benefits by significantly reducing harmful emissions. Consequently a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach is employed to determine the optimal blending strategy revealing that a 24% hydrogen and 76% marine diesel oil (MDO) energy share yields the most favorable outcome among the evaluated alternatives.
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