Publications

The type IV hydrogen storage tank with a polymer liner is a promising storage solution for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The polymer liner reduces the weight and improves the storage density of tanks. However hydrogen commonly permeates through the liner especially at high pressure. If there is rapid decompression damage may occur due to the internal hydrogen concentration as the concentration inside creates the pressure difference. Thus a comprehensive understanding of the decompression damage is significant for the development of a suitable liner material and the commercialization of the type IV hydrogen storage tank. This study discusses the decompression damage mechanism of the polymer liner which includes damage characterizations and evaluations influential factors and damage prediction. Finally some future research directions are proposed to further investigate and optimize tanks.

This paper navigates the critical role of hydrogen in catalyzing a sustainable energy transformation. This review delves into hydrogen production methodologies spotlighting green and blue hydrogen as pivotal for future energy systems because of their potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through a comprehensive literature review and a bibliometric analysis this study underscores the importance of technological advancements policy support and market incentives in promoting hydrogen as a key energy vector. It also explores the necessity of expanding renewable energy sources and international cooperation to secure a sustainable low-carbon future. The analysis highlights the importance of scalable and cost-effective hydrogen production methods such as solar-thermochemical and photo-electrochemical processes and addresses the challenges posed by resource availability and geopolitical factors in establishing a hydrogen economy. This paper serves as a guide for policy and innovation toward achieving global sustainability goals illustrating the essential role of hydrogen in the energy transition.

The ambitious targets set by the International Maritime Organization for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping require radical actions by all relevant stakeholders. In this context the interest in high efficiency and low emissions (even zero in the case of hydrogen) fuel cell technology for maritime applications has been rising during the last decade pushing the research developed by academia and industries. This paper aims to present a comparative review of the fuel cell systems suitable for the maritime field focusing on PEMFC and SOFC technologies. This choice is due to the spread of these fuel cell types concerning the other ones in the maritime field. The following issues are analyzed in detail: (i) the main characteristics of fuel cell systems; (ii) the available technology suppliers; (iii) international policies for fuel cells onboard ships; (iv) past and ongoing projects at the international level that aim to assess fuel cell applications in the maritime industry; (v) the possibility to apply fuel cell systems on different ship types. This review aims to be a reference and a guide to state both the limitations and the developing potential of fuel cell systems for different maritime applications.

Though being attractive on railway decarbonisation for regional lines excessive cost caused by immature hydrogen supply chain is one of the significant hurdles for promoting hydrogen traction to rolling stocks. Therefore we conduct bespoke research on the UK’s hydrogen supply chain for railway concentrating on hydrogen transportation. Firstly a map for the planned hydrogen production plants and potential hydrogen lines is developed with the location capacity and usage. A spatially explicit model for the hydrogen supply chain is then introduced which optimises the existing grid-based methodology on accuracy and applicability. Compressed hydrogen at three pressures and liquid hydrogen are considered as the mediums incorporating by road and rail transport. Furthermore three scenarios for hydrogen rail penetration are simulated respectively to discuss the levelised cost and the most suitable national transport network. The results show that the developed model with mix-integer linear programming (MILP) can well design the UK’s hydrogen distribution for railway traction. Moreover the hydrogen transport medium and vehicle should adjust to suit for different era where the penetration of hydrogen traction varies. The levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) decreases from 6.13 £/kg to 5.13 £/kg on average from the conservative scenario to the radical scenario. Applying different transport combinations according to the specific situation can satisfy the demand while reducing cost for multi-supplier and multitargeting hydrogen transport.

Reduction of the carbon dioxide emissions is a vital important environmental element in achieving the global climate neutrality. The integration of renewables and the Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies is seen as an important pillar for overall decarbonization. This work presents several innovative concepts in which the biogas reforming process in integrated with pre- and post-combustion CO2 capture using membranes for green hydrogen production. The assessment evaluates the most relevant techno-economic and environmental performances for 100 MWth green hydrogen plant capacity. Several biogas reforming designs with and without CO2 capture capability were evaluated. In respect to the CO2 capture rate several pre- and postcombustion systems provided decarbonization yields between 55% up to 99%. The results show that the decarbonized membrane-based green hydrogen production shows attractive performances such as high energy efficiency (55–60%) reduced energy and cost penalties for CO2 capture (3.6–15.5 net efficiency points depending on the carbon capture rate) low specific CO2 emissions at system level (down to 2 kg/MWh green hydrogen) and overall negative carbon emission for whole biogas value chain (up to − 468 kg/MWh green hydrogen). This analysis clearly shows how the integration of renewables with CCUS technologies can deliver applications with negative CO2 emissions for climate neutrality.

Electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen fuel is an attractiverenewable energy storage technology. However grid-scale fresh-water electrolysis would put a heavy strain on vital water re-sources. Developing cheap electrocatalysts and electrodes that cansustain seawater splitting without chloride corrosion could ad-dress the water scarcity issue. Here we present a multilayer anodeconsisting of a nickel–iron hydroxide (NiFe) electrocatalyst layeruniformly coated on a nickel sulfide (NiSx) layer formed on porousNi foam (NiFe/NiSx-Ni) affording superior catalytic activity andcorrosion resistance in solar-driven alkaline seawater electrolysisoperating at industrially required current densities (0.4 to 1 A/cm2)over 1000 h. A continuous highly oxygen evolution reaction-active NiFe electrocatalyst layer drawing anodic currents towardwater oxidation and an in situ-generated polyatomic sulfate andcarbonate-rich passivating layers formed in the anode are respon-sible for chloride repelling and superior corrosion resistance of thesalty-water-splitting anode.

The transition to cleaner energy sources particularly in hard-to-abate industrial sectors often requires the gradual integration of new technologies. Hydrogen crucial for decarbonization is explored as a fuel in blended combustions. Blending or replacing fuels impacts combustion stability and heat transfer rates due to differing densities. An extensive literature review examines blended combustion focusing on hydrogen/methane mixtures. While industrial burners claim to accommodate up to 20% hydrogen theoretical support is lacking. A novel thermodynamic analysis methodology is introduced evaluating methane/hydrogen combustion using the Wobbe index. The findings highlight practical limitations beyond 25% hydrogen volume necessitating a shift to “totally hydrogen” combustion. Blended combustion can be proposed as a medium-term strategy acknowledging hydrogen’s limited penetration. Higher percentages require burner and infrastructure redesign.

From navigating the rainbow of colours to the lack of consensus in establishing a common taxonomy the labelling and definition of green or renewable hydrogen presents a growing challenge. In this context carbon taxonomy is understood through five critical aspects: carbon intensity temporal and geographical correlation additionality of renewable energy generation and different system boundaries in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This study examines the effect of carbon taxonomy on the design and operation of Power-to-Gas (PtG) systems for renewable hydrogen production including the electricity supply portfolio via Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and grid-connected electrolysis. To this end an optimisation model combining energy system modelling and LCA is developed and then applied to a case study in the Japanese context. The importance of the PPA portfolio in securing cheap and low-carbon electricity to produce hydrogen is addressed. To support this evaluation process an eco-efficiency metric is introduced and proved to be a comprehensive tool for evaluating renewable hydrogen production. Regarding carbon taxonomies the findings emphasize additionality as the key determinant factor followed by temporal correlation and the definition of carbon intensity thresholds. The application of a cradle-togate LCA boundary influenced the cabron intensity accounting playing an unexpected role on the design and optimal PtG dispatch strategy.

This article presents the concept of green transformation of the coal mining sector. Pump stations that belong to Spółka Restrukturyzacji Kopal´n S.A. (SRK S.A. Bytom Poland) pump out approximately 100 million m3 of mine water annually. These pump stations protect neighboring mines and lower-lying areas from flooding and protect subsurface aquifers from contamination. The largest cost component of maintaining a pumping station is the expenditure for purchasing electricity. Investment towards renewable energy sources will reduce the environmental footprint of pumping station operation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The concept of liquidation of an exemplary mining site in the context of a circular economy by proposing the development/revitalization of a coal mine site is presented. This concept involves the construction of a complex consisting of photovoltaic farms combined with efficient energy storage in the form of green hydrogen produced by water electrolysis. For this purpose the potential of liquidated mining sites will be utilized including the use of pumped mine wastewater. This article is conceptual. In order to reach the stated objective a body of literature and legal regulations was analyzed and an empirical study was conducted. Various scenarios for the operation of mine pumping stations have been proposed. The options presented provide full or nearly full energy self-sufficiency of the proposed pumping station operation concept. The effect of applying any option for upgrading the pumping station could result in the creation of jobs that are alternatives to mining jobs and a guarantee of efficient asset management.

This report lays out roadmaps for the nine technology families identified in the UK Hydrogen Innovation Opportunity. The content in these roadmaps has been developed through a combination of extensive industrial engagement and aggregation of existing sector and technology roadmaps. This document also signposts to reports that highlight innovation challenges and opportunities for two underpinning technology families - materials and digital. The technology roadmaps in this document each include the following:

♦ UK and global market forecast for 2030 and 2050 for the respective technology family.

♦ Key technologies that make up the technology family.

♦ The associated innovation opportunities associated with each key technology together with development and industrialisation timelines and the sectors that will benefit from the innovation.

The list of innovation opportunities on each roadmap is by no means exhaustive but they are a sample that were selected because they highlighted some key innovation actions for the UK. To make this selection a range of factors were considered including global and UK economic demand the UK political imperative and UK potential to win market share. The development and industrialisation timelines are recommendations only and do not signify that this work is already planned or funded.

This report can also be downloaded for free on the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative website.

In addition to the promotion of pumped storage and electricity storage batteries the minimum use of inexpensive thermal power generation for the regulation of power in Japan and other countries is being considered as a supply-demand stabilization device with the expected widespread introduction of renewable energy by 2050. Therefore this study analyzed the economics related to the introduction of solid oxide fuel cell combined cycle using liquefied natural gas as a regulating power. The commercialization of recovered CO2 has been investigated for reducing the overall system operating costs. This study investigated a combined solid oxide fuel cell CO2 utilization system that employed green hydrogen methanolation and methanation to facilitate the use of the CO2 captured by the system. CO2 was separated from the exhaust gas of the system captured stored and used through methanation and methanolation. Consequently the synthesized methane was used for solid oxide fuel cell power generation and the synthesized methanol was sold. The discounted cash flow method was employed to evaluate the economic performance of the proposed system. At a unit price of 0.7–0.9 USD/kWh for electricity sold rated outputs of 1250 and 390 MW for solid oxide fuel cell combined cycle and photovoltaics respectively carbon capture and storage equipment cost of 800 USD/kWh and discount rate of 0.3 % the simple integrated payback period was obtained as 9 years whereas the dynamic payback period was 11–30 years. Consequently the economic feasibility of the proposed system was demonstrated.

In this study the Bald Eagle Search Algorithm performed hydrogen consumption and battery cycle optimization of a fuel cell electric vehicle. To save time and cost the digital vehicle model created in Matlab/Simulink and validated with real-world driving data is the main platform of the optimization study. The digital vehicle model was run with the minimum and maximum battery charge states determined by the Bald Eagle Search Algorithm and hydrogen consumption and battery cycle values were obtained. By using the algorithm and digital vehicle model together hydrogen consumption was minimized and range was increased. It was aimed to extend the life of the parts by considering the battery cycle. At the same time the number of battery packs was included in the optimization and its effect on consumption was investigated. According to the study results the total hydrogen consumption of the fuel cell electric vehicle decreased by 57.8% in the hybrid driving condition 23.3% with two battery packs and 36.27% with three battery packs in the constant speed driving condition.

Hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines are a promising CO2-free and zero-impact emission alternative to battery or fuel cell electric powertrains. Advantages include long service life robustness against fuel impurities and a strong infrastructural base with existing production lines and workshop stations. In order to make hydrogen engines harmless in terms of pollutant emissions as well NOX emissions at the tailpipe must be reduced as low as the zero-impact emission level. Here the application of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts is a promising solution that can be rapidly adopted from conventional diesel engines. This paper therefore investigates the influences of the hydrogen concentration in the raw exhaust gas of the NO2/NOX ratio and of the space velocity on the performance of two different SCR technologies. The results show that both types of SCR copper-zeolite and vanadium-based have their advantages and drawbacks. Copper-based SCR catalysts have an early light-off temperature and reach maximum efficiencies of up to >99%. On the other hand vanadium systems promise almost no secondary N2O emissions. As a result we combined both approaches to create a superior solution with high efficiency and lowest secondary emissions.

The diffusive process between hydrogen (H2) and cushion gas affects the purity of H2 stored in the subsurface porous media. It is essential to understand the diffusive mass transfer and its impact on the migration of H2. Carbon dioxide (CO2) serves as a promising option for cushion gas. However due to experimental challenges there has been limited research conducted to quantify the diffusion between H2 and CO2 under reservoir conditions. For the first time we quantitatively measured the horizontal diffusive process between H2 and CO2 without convection interference in a high-pressure optical cell. The Raman spectroscopy is used to monitor the diffusive process in real-time and the diffusion coefficient is determined based on the measured concentration profiles. We showed that the Fick’s second law with a constant diffusion coefficient describes adequately the observed diffusive process. The resulting diffusion coefficient scales linearly with the reciprocal viscosity of CO2. Based on the measured diffusion coefficient we conducted a numerical study at field-scale. Results suggest that the dispersive mixing plays a role in the purity of produced H2.

The coupling of photovoltaics (PVs) and PEM water electrolyzers (PEMWE) is a promising method for generating hydrogen from a renewable energy source. While direct coupling is feasible the variability of solar radiation presents challenges in efcient sizing. This study proposes an innovative energy management strategy that ensures a stable hydrogen production rate even with fuctuating solar irradiation. By integrating battery-assisted hydrogen production this approach allows for decentralized grid-independent renewable energy systems mitigating instability from PV intermittency. The system utilizes electrochemical storage to absorb excess energy during periods of low or very high irradiation which falls outside the electrolyzer’s optimal power input range. This stored energy then supports the PV system ensuring the electrolyzer operates near its nominal capacity and optimizing its lifetime. The system achieves an efciency of 7.78 to 8.81% at low current density region and 6.6% at high current density in converting solar energy into hydrogen.

This study presents an innovative home energy management system (HEMS) that incorporates PV WTs and hybrid backup storage systems including a hydrogen storage system (HSS) a battery energy storage system (BESS) and electric vehicles (EVs) with vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology. The research conducted in Liaoning Province China evaluates the performance of the HEMS under various demand response (DR) scenarios aiming to enhance resilience efficiency and energy independence in green buildings. Four DR scenarios were analyzed: No DR 20% DR 30% DR and 40% DR. The findings indicate that implementing DR programs significantly reduces peak load and operating costs. The 40% DR scenario achieved the lowest cumulative operating cost of $749.09 reflecting a 2.34% reduction compared with the $767.07 cost in the No DR scenario. The integration of backup systems particularly batteries and fuel cells (FCs) effectively managed energy supply ensuring continuous power availability. The system maintained a low loss of power supply probability (LPSP) indicating high reliability. Advanced optimization techniques particularly the reptile search algorithm (RSA) are crucial in enhancing system performance and efficiency. These results underscore the potential of hybrid backup storage systems with V2H technology to enhance energy independence and sustainability in residential energy management.

The transition to sustainable energy has ushered in the era of electrofuels (e-fuels) which are synthesised using electricity from renewable sources water and CO2 as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This paper presents a systematic review of the techno-economic (TEA) and life cycle assessments (LCAs) of e-fuel production. We critically evaluate advancements in production technologies economic feasibility environmental implications and potential societal impacts. Our findings indicate that while e-fuels offer a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions their economic viability depends on optimising production processes and reducing input material costs. The LCA highlights the necessity of using renewable energy for hydrogen production to ensure the genuine sustainability of e-fuels. This review also identifies knowledge gaps suggesting areas for future research and policy intervention. As the world moves toward a greener future understanding the holistic implications of e-fuels becomes paramount. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview to guide stakeholders in their decision-making processes.

Conventional methods of parameterizing fuel cell hybrid power systems (FCHPS) often rely on engineering experience which leads to problems such as increased economic costs and excessive weight of the system. These shortcomings limit the performance of FCHPS in real-world applications. To address these issues this paper proposes a novel method for optimizing the parameter configuration of FCHPS. First the power and energy requirements of the vehicle are determined through traction calculations and a real-time energy management strategy is used to ensure efficient power distribution. On this basis a multi-objective parameter configuration optimization model is developed which comprehensively considers economic cost and system weight and uses a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to determine the optimal configuration of each power source. The optimization results show that the system economic cost is reduced by 8.76% and 18.05% and the weight is reduced by 11.47% and 9.13% respectively compared with the initial configuration. These results verify the effectiveness of the proposed optimization strategy and demonstrate its potential to improve the overall performance of the FCHPS.

The introduction of several alternative marine fuels is considered an important strategy for maritime decarbonization. These alternative marine fuels include liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefied biogas (LBG) hydrogen ammonia methanol ethanol hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) etc. In some studies nuclear power and electricity are also included in the scope of alternative fuels for merchant ships. However the operation of alternative-fuel-powered ships has some special risks such as fuel spills vapor dispersion and fuel pool fires. The existing international legal framework does not address these risks sufficiently. This research adopts the method of legal analysis to examine the existing international legal regime for regulating the development of alternative-fuel-powered ships. From a critical perspective it evaluates and predicts the consequences of these policies together with their shortcomings. Also this research explores the potential solutions and countermeasures that might be feasible to deal with the special marine environmental risks posed by alternative-fuel-powered ships in the future.

Volatile electricity prices have raised concerns about the economic feasibility of wind projects in Finland. This study assesses the economic viability and optimal operational strategies for integrating wind-powered green hydrogen production systems. Utilizing modeling and optimization this research evaluates various wind farms in Western Finland over electricity market scenarios from 2019 to 2022 with forecasts extending to 2030. Key economic metrics considered include internal rate of return future value net present value (NPV) and the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH). Results indicate that integration of hydrogen production with wind farms shows economic benefits over standalone wind projects potentially reducing LCOH to €2.0/kgH2 by 2030 in regular and low electricity price scenarios and to as low as €0.6/kgH2 in high-price scenarios. The wind farm with the highest capacity factor achieves 47% reductions in LCOH and 22% increases in NPV underscoring the importance of strategic site selection and operational flexibility.

Hydrogen is the energy vector that will lead us toward a more sustainable future. It could be the fuel of both fuel cells and internal combustion engines. Internal combustion engines are today the only motors characterized by high reliability duration and specific power and low cost per power unit. The most immediate solution for the near future could be the application of hydrogen as a fuel in modern internal combustion engines. This solution has advantages and disadvantages: specific physical chemical and operational properties of hydrogen require attention. Hydrogen is the only fuel that could potentially produce no carbon carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions. It also allows high engine efficiency and low nitrogen oxide emissions. Hydrogen has wide flammability limits and a high flame propagation rate which provide a stable combustion process for lean and very lean mixtures. Near the stoichiometric air–fuel ratio hydrogen-fueled engines exhibit abnormal combustions (backfire pre-ignition detonation) the suppression of which has proven to be quite challenging. Pre-ignition due to hot spots in or around the spark plug can be avoided by adopting a cooled or unconventional ignition system (such as corona discharge): the latter also ensures the ignition of highly diluted hydrogen–air mixtures. It is worth noting that to correctly reproduce the hydrogen ignition and combustion processes in an ICE with the risks related to abnormal combustion 3D CFD simulations can be of great help. It is necessary to model the injection process correctly and then the formation of the mixture and therefore the combustion process. It is very complex to model hydrogen gas injection due to the high velocity of the gas in such jets. Experimental tests on hydrogen gas injection are many but never conclusive. It is necessary to have a deep knowledge of the gas injection phenomenon to correctly design the right injector for a specific engine. Furthermore correlations are needed in the CFD code to predict the laminar flame velocity of hydrogen–air mixtures and the autoignition time. In the literature experimental data are scarce on air–hydrogen mixtures particularly for engine-type conditions because they are complicated by flame instability at pressures similar to those of an engine. The flame velocity exhibits a non-monotonous behavior with respect to the equivalence ratio increases with a higher unburnt gas temperature and decreases at high pressures. This makes it difficult to develop the correlation required for robust and predictive CFD models. In this work the authors briefly describe the research path and the main challenges listed above.

An equilibrium-based steady-state simulator model that predicts and optimizes hydrogen production from steam gasification ofbiomass is developed using ASPEN Plus software and artificial intelligence techniques. Corn cob’s chemical composition wascharacterized to ensure the biomass used as a gasifier and with potential for production of hydrogen. Artificial intelligence is usedto examine the effects of the significant input variables on response variables such as hydrogen mole fraction and hydrogen energycontent. Optimizing the steam-gasification process using response surface methodology (RSM) considering a variety of biomass-steam ratios was carried out to achieve the best results. Hydrogen yield and the impact of main operating parameters wereconsidered. A maximum hydrogen concentration is found in the gasifier and water-gas shift (WGS) reactor at the highest steam-to-biomass (S/B) ratio and the lowest WGS reaction temperature while the gasification temperature has an optimum value. ANFISwas used to predict hydrogen of mole fraction 0.5045 with the input parameters of S/B ratio of 2.449 and reactor pressure andtemperature of 1 bar and 848°C respectively. With the steam-gasification model operating at temperature (850°C) pressure (1 bar)and S/B ratio of 2.0 an ASPEN simulator achieved a maximum of 0.5862 mole fraction of hydrogen while RSM gave an increaseof 19.0% optimum hydrogen produced over the ANFIS prediction with the input parameters of S/B ratio of 1.053 and reactorpressure and temperature of 1 bar and 850°C respectively. Varying the gasifier temperature and S/B ratio have on the other handa crucial effect on the gasification process with artificial intelligence as a unique tool for process evaluation prediction andoptimization to increase a significant impact on the products especially hydrogen.

Efforts to direct the economies of many countries towards low-carbon economies are being made in order to reduce their impact on global climate change. Within this process replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen will play an important role in the sectors where electrification is difficult or technically and economically ineffective. Hydrogen may also play a critical role in renewable energy storage processes. Thus the global hydrogen demand is expected to rise more than five times by 2050 while in the European Union a seven-fold rise in this field is expected. Apart from many technical and legislative barriers the environmental impact of hydrogen production is a key issue especially in the case of new and developing technologies. Focusing on the various pathways of hydrogen production the essential problem is to evaluate the related emissions through GHG accounting considering the life cycle of a plant in order to compare the technologies effectively. Anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis is one of the newest technologies in this field with no LCA studies covering its full operation. Thus this study is focused on a calculation of the carbon footprint and economic indicators of a green hydrogen plant on the basis of a life cycle assessment including the concept of a solar-to-hydrogen plant with AEM electrolyzers operating under Polish climate conditions. The authors set the range of the GWP indicators as 2.73–4.34 kgCO2eq for a plant using AEM electrolysis which confirmed the relatively low emissivity of hydrogen from solar energy also in relation to this innovative technology. The economic profitability of the investment depends on external subsidies because as developing technology the AEM electrolysis of green hydrogen from photovoltaics is still uncompetitive in terms of its cost without this type of support.

To reach climate neutrality by 2050 a goal that the European Union set itself it is necessary to change and modify the whole EU’s energy system through deep decarbonization and reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. The study presents a current insight into the global energy-transition pathway based on the hydrogen energy industry chain. The paper provides a critical analysis of the role of clean hydrogen based on renewable energy sources (green hydrogen) and fossil-fuels-based hydrogen (blue hydrogen) in the development of a new hydrogen-based economy and the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions. The actual status costs future directions and recommendations for low-carbon hydrogen development and commercial deployment are addressed. Additionally the integration of hydrogen production with CCUS technologies is presented.

In this study we developed a new hybrid mathematical model that combines wind-speed range with the log law to derive the wind energy potential for wind-generated hydrogen production in Pakistan. In addition we electrolyzed wind-generated power in order to assess the generation capacity of wind-generated renewable hydrogen. The advantage of the Weibull model is that it more accurately reflects power generation potential (i.e. the capacity factor). When applied to selected sites we have found commercially viable hydrogen production capacity in all locations. All sites considered had the potential to produce an excess amount of wind-generated renewable hydrogen. If the total national capacity of wind-generated was used Pakistan could conceivably produce 51917000.39 kg per day of renewable hydrogen. Based on our results we suggest that cars and other forms of transport could be fueled with hydrogen to conserve oil and gas resources which can reduce the energy shortfall and contribute to the fight against climate change and global warming. Also hydrogen could be used to supplement urban energy needs (e.g. for Sindh province Pakistan) again reducing energy shortage effects and supporting green city programs.

Purpose: The technology and market module of the FCHO presents a range of statistical data as an indicator of the health of the sector and the progress in market development over time. https://www.fchobservatory.eu/observatory/technology-and-market Scope: Fuel cell shipment data is presented on a global basis. Other sections of the technology and market chapter (HRS data and FCEV data) are presented on a European basis. The report spans January 2020 – December 2020. Key Findings: COVID-19 has without doubt impacted the deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen in 2020 compared to industry expectations: Global Fuel Cell shipments > 1.3 GW Europe Fuel Cell shipments up to 148.6 MW Europe HRS in operation or under construction 162 FCEVs up 41% to 2774

This paper investigates a multi-objective optimal energy planning strategy for a hub incorporating renewable and non-renewable resources like PV tidal turbine fuel-cell CHP boiler micro-turbine reactor reformer electrolyzer and energy storage by utilizing the time of use program (TOU). In this strategy tidal turbine fuel-cell and reformer technologies are considered novel technologies that simultaneously reduce the proposed hub’s cost and pollution. The hub’s total cost and pollution are considered objective functions. To make the results more realistic characteristics of the tidal turbine are investigated by utilizing the manufactory’s company information. The problem is then modeled as real mixed integer programming (RMIP) and is solved in GAMS software using a CPLEX solver. Epsilon constraints method and fuzzy satisfying approach are used to select the optimal solution based on the proposed model. Finally a sensitivity analysis is performed to assess the effective parameters that affect the planning’s results. The results show that the overall pollution is reduced by about 9% by assuming the proposed planning and the total profit is increased by about 30%.

Public transport plays a prominent role with respect to mitigating transport-related environmental effects by improving passenger transport efficiency and the quality of life in cities. Batteries and fuel cells are at the forefront of the technological shift to zero-emission powertrains. Within the scope of the German-funded project BIC H2 corresponding systems analysis research focuses on the market introduction of fuel cell–electric buses in the Rhine–Ruhr Metropolitan Region through 2035. This study presents the related methods and major outcomes of this techno-economic research which spans spatially-resolved hydrogen demand modeling of all relevant sectors to hydrogen refueling stations and upstream infrastructure modeling to scenario-based analyses. The latter builds upon an empirical study supporting the development of the Hydrogen Roadmap of the State of North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW). Our results show that the demand in NRW alone is expected to account for one third of total German hydrogen use. Hydrogen bus refueling could substantially support market introduction during its early phases. In the long term however hydrogen demand in industry is significantly higher compared to that in the transport sector. Furthermore spatial analysis identifies regions with pronounced hydrogen demands that could therefore be candidates for initial infrastructure investments. With the Cologne area showing the highest hydrogen demand levels such regions can offer particularly high infrastructure utilization e.g. for bus refueling. On the infrastructure side trailers for transporting gaseous hydrogen to refueling stations are the most favorable option through 2035. Pipelines would be the preferred solution soon after 2035 due to increased hydrogen demand. If effectively deployed converted natural gas pipelines would be the most cost-effective option even earlier.

In light of offshore wind expansions in the North and Baltic Seas in Europe further ideas on using offshore space for renewable-based energy generation have evolved. One of the concepts is that of energy islands which entails the placement of energy conversion and storage equipment near offshore wind farms. Offshore placement of electrolysers will cause interdependence between the availability of electricity for hydrogen production and for power transmission to shore. This paper investigates the trade-offs between integrating energy islands via electricity versus hydrogen infrastructure. We set up a combined capacity expansion and electricity dispatch model to assess the role of electrolysers and electricity cables given the availability of renewable energy from the islands. We find that the electricity system benefits more from connecting close-to-shore wind farms via power cables. In turn electrolysis is more valuable for far-away energy islands as it avoids expensive long-distance cable infrastructure. We also find that capacity investment in electrolysers is sensitive to hydrogen prices but less to carbon prices. The onshore network and congestion caused by increased activity close to shore influence the sizing and siting of electrolysers.

On today’s episode of Everything About Hydrogen we speak with Raffi Garabedian CEO and Co-Founder of Electric Hydrogen (EH2) a deep decarbonization company pioneering new technology for low cost high efficiency fossil free hydrogen systems. By using electrolyzers many times larger than the industry standard EH2 aims to help eliminate more than 30% of global GHG emissions from difficult to electrify sectors like steel ammonia and freight.

We are excited to learn more from Raffi about the EH2 technology lessons learned by scaling First Solar and what we might expect to see next.

The podcast can be found on their website.

Anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis aims to combine the benefits of alkaline electrolysis such as stability of the cheap catalyst and advantages of proton-exchange membrane systems like the ability to operate at differential pressure fast dynamic response low energy losses and higher current density. However as of today AEM electrolysis is limited by AEMs exhibiting insufficient ionic conductivity as well as lower catalyst activity and stability. Herein recent developments and outlook of AEM electrolysis such as cost-efficient transition metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction AEMs ionomer electrolytes ionomer catalyst–electrolyte interaction and membrane-electrode assembly performance and stability are described.

With a relatively high energy density hydrogen is attracting increasing attention in research commercial and political spheres specifically as a fuel for residential heating which is proving to be a difficult sector to decarbonise in some circumstances. Hydrogen production is dependent on the power system so any scale use of hydrogen for residential heating will impact various aspects of the power system including electricity prices and renewable generation curtailment (i.e. wind solar). Using a linearised optimal power flow model and the power infrastructure on the island of Ireland this paper examines least cost optimal investment in electrolysers in the presence of Ireland's 70% renewable electricity target by 2030. The introduction of electrolysers in the power system leads to an increase in emissions from power generation which is inconsistent with some definitions of green hydrogen. Electricity prices are marginally higher with electrolysers whereas the optimal location of electrolysers is driven by a combination of residential heating demand and potential surplus power supplies at electricity nodes.

The paper provides an economic model for the assessment of hydrogen production at the site of an existing thermal power plant which is then integrated into the existing gas grid. The model uses projections of electricity prices natural gas prices and CO2 prices as well as estimates of the cost of building a power-to-gas system for a 25-year period. The objective of this research is to calculate the yellow hydrogen production price for each lifetime year of the Power-to-gas system to evaluate yellow hydrogen competitiveness compared to the fossil alternatives. We test if an incentive scheme is needed to make this technology economically viable. The research also provides several sensitivity scenarios of electricity natural gas and CO2 price changes. Our research results clearly prove that yellow hydrogen is not yet competitive with fossil alternatives and needs incentive mechanisms for the time being. At given natural gas and CO2 prices the incentive for hydrogen production needs to be 52.90 EUR/MWh in 2025 and 36.18 EUR/MWh in 2050. However the role of hydrogen in the green transition could be very important as it provides ancillary services and balances energy sources in the power system.

Because the new energy is intermittent and uncertain it has an influence on the system’s output power stability. A hydrogen energy storage system is added to the system to create a wind light and hydrogen integrated energy system which increases the utilization rate of renewable energy while encouraging the consumption of renewable energy and lowering the rate of abandoning wind and light. Considering the system’s comprehensive operation cost economy power fluctuation and power shortage as the goal considering the relationship between power generation and load assigning charging and discharging commands to storage batteries and hydrogen energy storage and constructing a model for optimal capacity allocation of wind–hydrogen microgrid system. The optimal configuration model of the wind solar and hydrogen microgrid system capacity is constructed. A particle swarm optimization with dynamic adjustment of inertial weight (IDW-PSO) is proposed to solve the optimal allocation scheme of the model in order to achieve the optimal allocation of energy storage capacity in a wind–hydrogen storage microgrid. Finally a microgrid system in Beijing is taken as an example for simulation and solution and the results demonstrate that the proposed approach has the characteristics to optimize the economy and improve the capacity of renewable energy consumption realize the inhibition of the fluctuations of power reduce system power shortage and accelerate the convergence speed.

Rapid industrialization is consuming too much energy and non-renewable energy resources are currently supplying the world’s majority of energy requirements. As a result the global energy mix is being pushed towards renewable and sustainable energy sources by the world’s future energy plan and climate change. Thus hydrogen has been suggested as a potential energy source for sustainable development. Currently the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels is dominant in the world and its utilization is increasing daily. As discussed in the paper a large amount of hydrogen is used in rocket engines oil refining ammonia production and many other processes. This paper also analyzes the environmental impacts of hydrogen utilization in various applications such as iron and steel production rocket engines ammonia production and hydrogenation. It is predicted that all of our fossil fuels will run out soon if we continue to consume them at our current pace of consumption. Hydrogen is only ecologically friendly when it is produced from renewable energy. Therefore a transition towards hydrogen production from renewable energy resources such as solar geothermal and wind is necessary. However many things need to be achieved before we can transition from a fossil-fuel-driven economy to one based on renewable energy

For the safe utilization and management of hydrogen energy within a fuel-cell room in a hydrogen-fueled house an explosion test was conducted to evaluate the potential hazards associated with hydrogen accident scenarios. The overpressure and heat radiation were measured for an explosion accident at distances of 1 2 3 5 and 10 m for hydrogen–air mixing ratios of 10% 25% 40% and 60%. When the hydrogen–air mixture ratio was 40% the greatest overpressure was 24.35 kPa at a distance of 1 m from the fuel-cell room. Additionally the thermal radiation was more than 1.5 kW/m2 which could cause burns at a distance of 5 m from the hydrogen fuel-cell room. Moreover a thermal radiation in excess of 1.5 kW/m2 was computed at a distance of 3 m from the hydrogen fuel-cell room when the hydrogen–air mixing ratio was 25% and 60%. Consequently an explosion in the hydrogen fuel-cell room did not considerably affect fatality levels but could affect the injury levels and temporary threshold shifts. Furthermore the degree of physical damage did not reach major structural damage levels causing only minor structural damage.

The current need to reduce carbon emissions makes hydrogen use essential for selfconsumption in microgrids. To make a profitability analysis of a microgrid the influence of equipment costs and the electricity price must be known. This paper studies the cost-effective electricity price (EUR/kWh) for a microgrid located at ‘’La Rábida Campus” (University of Huelva south of Spain) for two different energy-management systems (EMSs): hydrogen-priority strategy and batterypriority strategy. The profitability analysis is based on one hand on the hydrogen-systems’ cost reduction (%) and on the other hand considering renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESSs) on cost reduction (%). Due to technological advances microgrid-element costs are expected to decrease over time; therefore future profitable electricity prices will be even lower. Results show a cost-effective electricity price ranging from 0.61 EUR/kWh to 0.16 EUR/kWh for hydrogen-priority EMSs and from 0.4 EUR/kWh to 0.17 EUR/kWh for battery-priority EMSs (0 and 100% hydrogen-system cost reduction respectively). These figures still decrease sharply if RES and ESS cost reductions are considered. In the current scenario of uncertainty in electricity prices the microgrid studied may become economically competitive in the near future

This paper uses established and recently introduced methods from the applied mathematics and statistics literature to study trends in the end-use sector and the capacity of low-carbon hydrogen projects in recent and upcoming decades. First we examine distributions in plants over time for various end-use sectors and classify them according to metric discrepancy observing clear similarity across all industry sectors. Next we compare the distribution of usage sectors between different continents and examine the changes in sector distribution over time. Finally we judiciously apply several regression models to analyse the association between various predictors and the capacity of global hydrogen projects. Across our experiments we see a welcome exponential growth in the capacity of zero-carbon hydrogen plants and significant growth of new and planned hydrogen plants in the 2020’s across every sector.

In view of the European Union’s strategy on hydrogen for decarbonization and buildings’ decarbonization targets the use of hydrogen in buildings is expected in the future. Backup power in buildings is usually provided with diesel generators (DGs). In this study the use of a hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) power supply backup system is studied. Its operation is compared to a DG and a techno-economic analysis of the latter’s replacement with an HFC is conducted by calculating relevant key performance indicators (KPIs). The developed approach is presented in a case study on a school building in Greece. Based on the school’s electricity loads which are calculated with a dynamic energy simulation and power shortages scenarios the backup system’s characteristics are defined and the relevant KPIs are calculated. It was found that the HFC system can reduce the annual CO2 emissions by up to 400 kg and has a lower annual operation cost than a DG. However due to its high investment cost its levelized cost of electricity is higher and the replacement of an existing DG is unviable in the current market situation. The techno-economic study reveals that subsidies of around 58–89% are required to foster the deployment of HFC backup systems in buildings.

The core of carbon neutrality is the energy structure adjustment and economic structure transformation. Hydrogen energy as a kind of clean energy with great potential has provided important support for the implementation of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals of China. How to achieve the large-range safe and reliable transportation of hydrogen energy with good economic benefits remains the key to limiting the development of hydrogen energy. Using the existing natural gas pipeline network can save many infrastructure construction costs to transport hydrogen-blended natural gas. However due to great differences in the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen and natural gas the transportation of hydrogen-blended natural gas will bring safety risks to the pipeline network operation to a certain extent. In this paper the influences of pipeline transportation of hydrogen-blended natural gas on existing pipelines and parts along the pipelines are analyzed from two aspects of pipe compatibility and hydrogen blending ratio and the safety of pipeline transportation of hydrogen-blended natural gas is summarized from two aspects of leakage and accumulation as well as combustion and explosion. In addition the integrity management of hydrogen-blended natural gas pipelines and the existing relevant standards and specifications are reviewed. This paper points out the shortcomings of current hydrogen-blended natural gas pipeline transportation and gives some relevant suggestions. Hopefully this work can provide a useful reference for developing a hydrogen-blended natural gas pipeline transportation system.

A distributed power system with renewable energy sources is very popular in recent years due to the rapid depletion of conventional sources of energy. Reasonable sizing for such power systems could improve the power supply reliability and reduce the annual system cost. The goal of this work is to optimize the size of a stand-alone hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/wind turbine (WT)/battery (B)/hydrogen system (a hybrid system based on battery and hydrogen (HS-BH)) for reliable and economic supply. Two objectives that take the minimum annual system cost and maximum system reliability described as the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) have been addressed for sizing HS-BH from a more comprehensive perspective considering the basic demand of load the profit from hydrogen which is produced by HS-BH and an effective energy storage strategy. An improved ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm has been presented to solve the sizing problem of HS-BH. Finally a simulation experiment has been done to demonstrate the developed results in which some comparisons have been done to emphasize the advantage of HS-BH with the aid of data from an island of Zhejiang China.

Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative to fossil fuels in an integrated energy system (IES). In order to reduce the cost of hydrogen energy utilization and the carbon emissions of the IES this paper proposes a low-carbon dispatching strategy for a coordinated integrated energy system using green hydrogen and blue hydrogen. The strategy takes into account the economic and low-carbon complementarity between hydrogen production by water electrolysis and hydrogen production from natural gas. It introduces the green hydrogen production–storage–use module (GH-PSUM) and the blue hydrogen production–storage–use module (BH-PSUM) to facilitate the refined utilization of different types of hydrogen energy. Additionally the flexibility in hydrogen load supply is analyzed and the dynamic response mechanism of the hydrogen load supply structure (DRM-HLSS) is proposed to further reduce operating costs and carbon emissions. Furthermore a carbon trading mechanism (CTM) is introduced to constrain the carbon emissions of the integrated energy system. By comprehensively considering the constraints of each equipment the proposed model aims to minimize the total economic cost which includes wind power operation and curtailment penalty costs energy purchase costs blue hydrogen purification costs and carbon transaction costs. The rationality of the established scheduling model is verified through a comparative analysis of the scheduling results across multiple operating scenarios.

To achieve the net zero carbon emissions goals by 2050 the transition to cleaner forms and carriers of energy should be accelerated without though jeopardizing the public safety. Although hydrogen has been deemed to play significant role in the energy transition for years now there are still concerns for its risks that hamper its widespread implementation in several applications like for instance automobile applications. Hydrogen-powered vehicles raise concerns about their safety especially inside confined spaces like tunnels and thus research on that topic has been intensified during the last years. In this context experiments have been conducted by UK HSE within the EU-funded project HyTunnel-CS to examine hydrogen dispersion and deflagration inside a scaled tunnel resulting from fuel cell car bus and train release.<br/>In this work that was also carried out within the HyTunnel-CS we present the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the HSE unignited experiments. Blowdown tests related to high-pressure hydrogen releases through Thermal Pressure Relief Device (TPRD) installed in car and in train were modeled using the ADREA-HF code. The scope of these simulations was two-fold: a) contribute to the design of the experiments (e.g. indicate sensor positioning ignition point etc.) and the interpretation of hydrogen behavior and b) validate the CFD code. For the former pre-test simulations preceded the experiments to provide design recommendations. When the experiments were conducted the measurements were used for the code validation. Overall the CFD results are in satisfactory agreement with the experiments. Finally simulations with different ventilation rates and with model vehicles inside the tunnel were conducted to examine their effect on mixture dispersion and tunnel safety.

All diesel-only trains in the UK will be removed from services by 2040. High volumetric density rapid refuelling ability and sophisticated experience in infrastructure and logistics make ammonia a perfect hydrogen carrying fuel for rail freight which urgently requires an economically viable solution. This study conducted a novel techno-economic study of ammonia-fuelled fuel cell powertrains to be compared with current diesel engine-based system and emerging direct hydrogen-fuelled fuel cell system. The results demonstrate that hydrogen-fuelled Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) and ammonia-fuelled PEMFCs (using an ammonia cracker) are more cost-effective in terms of Levelized Cost of Electricity. The ammonia fuel storage requires 61.5-75 % less space compared to the hydrogen storage. Although the ammonia-fuelled Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) powertrain has the highest electricity generation efficiency (56%) the overall cost requires a major reduction by 70% before it could be considered as an economically viable solution.

Hydrogen plays a vital role in decarbonizing the mobility sector. With the number of hydrogen vehicles expected to drastically increase a network of refuelling stations needs to be built to keep up with the hydrogen demand. However further research and development on hydrogen refuelling infrastructure storage and standardization is required to overcome technical and economic barriers. Simulation tools can reduce time and costs during the design phase but existing models do not fully support calculations of complete and arbitrary system layouts. Therefore a flexible simulation toolbox for rapid investigations of hydrogen refuelling and extraction processes as well as development of refuelling infrastructure vehicle tank systems and refuelling protocols for non-standardized applications was developed. Our model library H2VPATT comprises of typical components found in refuelling infrastructure. The key component is the hydrogen tank model. The simulation model was successfully validated with measurement data from refuelling tests of a 320 l type III tank.

Improving the energy efficiency of existing technologies such as the on-board power supply of trucks ships and aircraft is an important endeavor for reducing primary energy consumption. The approach consists of using fuel cell technology in conjunction with hydrogen production from liquid fuels. However the energy transition with the goal of complete climate-neutrality requires technological changes in the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy via electrolysis. Synthetic fuels are an important building block for drive systems that will continue to require liquid energy carriers in the future due to their range. This study addresses the question of whether technical devices that were developed for the generation of hydrogen from liquid fuels for fuel cells to generate electricity are now suitable for the reverse process chain or can play an important role in it. The new process chain produces hydrogen from sustainable electricity combining it with carbon dioxide to create a synthetic liquid fuel.

With renewable energy sources projected to become the dominant source of electricity hydrogen has emerged as a crucial energy carrier to mitigate their intermittency issues. Water electrolysis is the most developed alternative to generate green hydrogen so far. However in the past two decades steam electrolysis has attracted increasing interest and aims to become a key player in the portfolio of electrolytic hydrogen. In practice steam electrolysis follows two distinct operational approaches: Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) at high temperature. For both technologies this work analyses critical cell components outlining material characteristics and degradation issues. The influence of operational conditions on the performance and cell durability of both technologies is thoroughly reviewed. The analytical comparison of the two electrolysis alternatives underscores their distinct advantages and drawbacks highlighting their niche of applications: SOECs thrive in high temperature industries like steel production and nuclear power plants whereas PEM steam electrolysis suits lower temperature applications such as textile and paper. Being PEM steam electrolysis less explored this work ends up by suggesting research lines in the domain of i) cell components (membranes catalysts and gas diffusion layers) to optimize and scale the technology ii) integration strategies with renewable energies and iii) use of seawater as feedstock for green hydrogen production.

The depletion and overuse of fossil fuels present formidable challenge to energy supply system and environment. The human society is in great need of clean renewable and sustainable energy which can guarantee the long-term utilization without leading to escalation of greenhouse effect. Hydrogen as an extraordinary secondary energy is capable of realizing the target of environmental protection and transferring the intermittent primary energy to the application terminal while its nature of low volumetric energy density and volatility need suitable storage method and proper carrier. In this context liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) among a series of storage methods such as compressed and liquefied hydrogen provokes a considerable amount of research interest since it is proven to be a suitable carrier for hydrogen with safety and stability. However the dehydrogenation of hydrogen-rich LOHC materials is an endothermic process and needs large energy consumption which hampers the scale up of the LOHC system. The heat issue is thus essential to be addressed for fulfilling the potential of LOHC. In this work several strategies of heat intensification and management for LOHC system including the microwave irradiation circulation of exhaust heat and direct LOHC fuel cell are summarized and analyzed to provide suggestions and directions for future research.

The primary methods for hydrogen transportation include gaseous storage and transport liquid hydrogen storage and transport via organic liquid carriers. Among these pipeline transportation offers the lowest cost and the greatest potential for large-scale long-distance transport. Although the construction and operation costs of dedicated hydrogen pipelines are relatively high blending hydrogen into existing natural gas networks presents a viable alternative. This approach allows hydrogen to be transported to the end-users where it can be either separated for use or directly combusted thereby reducing hydrogen transport costs. This study based on the GERG-2008 equation of state conducts experimental tests on the compressibility factor of hydrogen-doped natural gas mixtures across a temperature range of −10 ◦C to 110 ◦C and a pressure range of 2 to 12 MPa with hydrogen blending ratios of 5% 10% 20% 30% and 40%. The results indicate that the hydrogen blending ratio temperature and pressure significantly affect the compressibility factor particularly under low-temperature and high-pressure conditions where an increase in the hydrogen blending ratio leads to a notable rise in the compressibility factor. These findings have substantial implications for the practical design of hydrogen-enriched natural gas pipelines as changes in the compressibility factor directly impact pipeline operational parameters compressor characteristics and other system performance aspects. Specifically the introduction of hydrogen alters the compressibility factor of the transported medium thereby affecting the pipeline’s flowability and compressibility which are crucial for optimizing and applying the performance of hydrogen-enriched natural gas in transportation channels. The research outcomes provide valuable insights for understanding combustion reactions adjusting pipeline operational parameters and compressor performance characteristics facilitating more precise decision-making in the design and operation of hydrogen-enriched natural gas pipelines.

Hydrogen is among the energy carriers which are most often considered for bringing about a sustainable energy system. Yet so far hydrogen has not delivered as an energy carrier. The core objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-the-art and the future prospects of green hydrogen in the European energy system from economic energetic and CO2 emissions point-of-view. The analysis shows that there are some increasing opportunities for hydrogen use in industry and in the transport sector when electrification is not possible or is too expensive as well as a storage in the European electricity system. However a hydrogen-based energy system will remain a vision at least over the next decades. The major reason for this is the unfavorable economics mostly due to high investment costs in the whole supply chain. In addition the overall efficiencies in the hydrogen chains are moderate in general. The full environmental benignity of hydrogen as an energy carrier is only provided when renewable energy sources are used for hydrogen production. However in Europe the potentials for green hydrogen are very limited due to the insufficient expansion of renewable electricity generation. For this reason many European countries are considering options for green hydrogen import. The future of hydrogen is highly dependent on the supporting policy framework. To reduce the risk in the investment in hydrogen infrastructure as well as to justify the promotion of green hydrogen it is very important that Europe works out a very clear and realistic long-term implementation strategy.