The Role of Liquid Hydrogen in Integrated Energy Systems - A Case Study for Germany

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to be a key building block in future greenhouse gas neutral energy systems. This study investigates the role of liquid hydrogen (LH2) in a national, greenhouse gas-neutral energy supply system for Germany in 2045. The integrated energy system model suite ETHOS is extended by LH2 demand profiles in the sectors aviation, mobility, and chemical industry and means of LH2 transportation via inland vessel, rail, and truck. This case study demonstrates that the type of hydrogen demand (liquid or gaseous) can strongly affect the cost-optimal design of the future energy system. When LH2 demand is introduced to the energy system, LH2 import, transportation, and production grow in importance. This decreases the need for gaseous hydrogen (GH2) pipelines and affects the location of H2 production plants. When identifying no-regret measures, it must be considered, that the largest H2 consumers are the ones with the highest readiness to use LH2.