Applications & Pathways

The maritime sector’s transition to sustainable energy is critical for achieving global carbon neutrality with container terminals representing a key focus due to their high energy consumption and emissions. This study explores the potential of hydrogen energy as a decarbonization solution for port operations using the Chuanshan Port Area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port (CPANZP) as a case study. Through a comprehensive analysis of hydrogen production storage refueling and consumption technologies we demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating hydrogen systems into port infrastructure. Our findings highlight the successful deployment of a hybrid “wind-solar-hydrogen-storage” energy system at CPANZP which achieves 49.67% renewable energy contribution and an annual reduction of 22000 tons in carbon emissions. Key advancements include alkaline water electrolysis with 64.48% efficiency multi-tier hydrogen storage systems and fuel cell applications for vehicles and power generation. Despite these achievements challenges such as high production costs infrastructure scalability and data integration gaps persist. The study underscores the importance of policy support technological innovation and international collaboration to overcome these barriers and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen energy in ports worldwide. This research provides actionable insights for port operators and policymakers aiming to balance operational efficiency with sustainability goals.

To address global CO2 emissions and the intermittency of renewables hydrogen is emerging as a promising carbon-free fuel for micro gas turbines (MGTs) offering potential for grid stability and decarbonization. However its high flame speed and adiabatic temperature present challenges including flashback and elevated NOx emissions. Conventional combustors often lack the compactness and NOx control needed for MGT-scale systems. This study numerically investigates pure hydrogen combustion in a compact MGT combustor using a secondary air dilution strategy. Based on the experimental setup of Tanneberger et al. simulations were conducted in ANSYS Fluent using steady-state RANS equations a CRECK-based chemical mechanism and the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) model. The parametric study explores three design variables swirler blockage (B) central fuel tube length (C) and fuel injection split (S) along with five secondary air configurations (T1–T5). Results show that the secondary air hole pattern significantly affects flow structure and temperature uniformity. Configuration T1 provided the most uniform exhaust and lowest NOx emissions due to better air penetration and earlier dilution. Higher B and S increased local flame temperature intensifying thermal NOx via the Zeldovich mechanism. The findings offer design guidance for stable low-emission hydrogen combustors suitable for compact MGT applications.

In response to increasingly stringent emission regulations low-carbon fuels have received significant attention as sustainable energy sources for internal combustion engines. This study investigates four representative low-carbon fuels methane methanol hydrogen and ammonia by systematically summarizing their combustion characteristics and emission profiles along with a review of existing after-treatment technologies tailored to each fuel type. For methane engines unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) produced during lowtemperature combustion exhibits poor oxidation reactivity necessitating integration of oxidation strategies such as diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) particulate oxidation catalyst (POC) ozone-assisted oxidation and zoned catalyst coatings to improve purification efficiency. Methanol combustion under low-temperature conditions tends to produce formaldehyde and other UHCs. Due to the lack of dedicated after-treatment systems pollutant control currently relies on general-purpose catalysts such as three-way catalyst (TWC) DOC and POC. Although hydrogen combustion is carbon-free its high combustion temperature often leads to elevated nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions requiring a combination of optimized hydrogen supply strategies and selective catalytic reduction (SCR)-based denitrification systems. Similarly while ammonia offers carbon-free combustion and benefits from easier storage and transportation its practical application is hindered by several challenges including low ignitability high toxicity and notable NOx emissions compared to conventional fuels. Current exhaust treatment for ammonia-fueled engines primarily depends on SCR selective catalytic reduction-coated diesel particulate filter (SDPF). Emerging NOx purification technologies such as integrated NOx reduction via hydrogen or ammonia fuel utilization still face challenges of stability and narrow effective temperatures.

Fossil fuels have been the conventional source of energy that has driven economic growth and industrial development for a long time. However their extensive use has led to immense environmental problems especially concerning the emission of greenhouse gases. These problems have stimulated researchers to turn their attention to renewable alternative fuels. Hydrogen has risen in recent years as a prospective energy carrier because it is possible to produce it in an environmentally friendly manner and because it is the most common element. Hydrogen may be used in diesel engines in a dual-fuel mode. Hydrogen has a higher heating value flame speed and diffusivity in air. These superior fuel properties can enhance performance and combustion efficiency. Hydrogen can decrease carbon monoxide unburned hydrocarbons and soot emissions due to the absence of carbon in hydrogen. However hydrogen-fuelled diesel engines have problems such as engine knocking and high nitrogen oxide emission. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the recent literature on the performance combustion and emission characteristics of hydrogen-fuelled diesel engines. Moreover this paper discusses the long-term sustainability of hydrogen production methods nitrogen oxide emission reduction techniques challenges to the large-scale use of hydrogen economic implications of hydrogen use safety issues in hydrogen applications regulations on hydrogen safety conflicting NOx emission results in the literature and material incompatibility issues in hydrogen applications. This study highlights state-of-the-art developments along with critical knowledge gaps that will be useful in guiding future research. These findings can support researchers and industry professionals in the integration of hydrogen into both existing and future diesel engine technologies. According to the literature the use of hydrogen up to 46% decreased smoke emissions by over 75% while CO2 and CO emissions significantly decreased. Moreover hydrogen addition improved thermal efficiency up to 7.01% and decreased specific fuel consumption up to 7.19%.

Energy management in hybrid fuel cell ship systems faces the dual challenges of optimizing hydrogen consumption and ensuring power quality. This study proposes an Improved Weighted Antlion Optimization (IW-ALO) algorithm for multi-objective problems. The method incorporates a dynamic weight adjustment mechanism and an elite-guided strategy which significantly enhance global search capability and convergence performance. By integrating IW-ALO with the Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (ECMS) an improved weighted ECMS (IW-ECMS) is developed enabling real-time optimization of the equivalence factor and ensuring efficient energy sharing between the fuel cell and the lithium-ion battery. To validate the proposed strategy a system simulation model is established in Matlab/Simulink 2017b. Compared with the rule-based state machine control and optimization-based ECMS methods over a representative 300 s ferry operating cycle the IW-ECMS achieves a hydrogen consumption reduction of 43.4% and 42.6% respectively corresponding to a minimum total usage of 166.6 g under the specified load profile while maintaining real-time system responsiveness. These reductions reflect the scenario tested characterized by frequent load variations. Nonetheless the results highlight the potential of IW-ECMS to enhance the economic performance of ship power systems and offer a novel approach for multi-objective cooperative optimization in complex energy systems.

This article examines the growing potential of low-emission hydrogen as an innovative solution supporting the decarbonization of the agricultural sector. It discusses its potential applications on farms including as an energy source for powering agricultural machinery producing fertilizers and storing energy from renewable sources. Within the European context it considers actions arising from the European Green Deal and the “Fit for 55” strategy which promote the development of hydrogen infrastructure and support research into low-emission technologies. The article also discusses global initiatives and trends in the development of the hydrogen economy pointing to international cooperation investment and the need for technology standardization. It highlights the challenges related to cost infrastructure and scalability as well as the opportunities hydrogen offers for a sustainable and energy-efficient agriculture of the future.

The power-to-methanol (PtMeOH) will play a crucial role as a form of renewable chemical energy storage. In this paper PtMeOH techno-economics are assessed using the promising configuration from the previous work (Mbatha et al. [1]). This study evaluated the effect of parameters such as the CO2 emission tax electricity price and CAPEX reduction on the product methanol economic parity with respect to a reference case. Superior to previous economic studies a scenario where an existing methanol synthesis infrastructure is 100 % retrofitted with the promising electrolyser is assessed in terms of its economics and the associated economic parity. The volatile South African electricity market is considered as a case study. The sensitivity of the PtMeOH and green H2 profitability are checked. Grid-connected and standalone renewable energy PtMeOH scenarios are assessed. Foremost generalisable effect trends of these parameters on the net present value (NPV) and the levelized cost of methanol(LCOMeOH) and H2 (LCOH2) are discussed. The results show that economic parity of H2 (LCOH2 = current selling price = 4.06 €/kg) can be reached with an electricity price of 30 €/MWh and 70 % of the CAPEX. While the LCOMeOH will still be above 2 €/kg at 80 % of the CAPEX and electricity price of 20 €/MWh. This indicates that even if the CAPEX reduces to 20 % of its original in this study and the electricity price reduces to about 20 €/MWh the LCOMEOH will still not reach economic parity (LCOMeOH > current selling price = 0.44 €/kg). The results show that to make the retrofitted plant with a minimum of 20 years of life span profitable a feasible reduction in the electricity price to below 10 €/MWh along with favourable incentives such as CO2 credit and reduction in CAPEX particularly that of the electrolyser and treatment of the PtMeOH as a multiproduct plant will be required.

In the context of renewable energy systems microgrids (MG) are a solution to enhance the reliability of power systems. In the last few years there has been a growing use of energy storage systems (ESSs) such as hydrogen and battery storage systems because of their environmentally-friendly nature as power converter devices. However their short lifespan represents a major challenge to their commercialization on a large scale. To address this issue the control strategy proposed in this paper includes cost functions that consider the degradation of both hydrogen devices and batteries. Moreover the proposed controller uses scenarios to reflect the stochastic nature of renewable energy resources (RESs) and load demand. The objective of this paper is to integrate a stochastic model predictive control (SMPC) strategy for an economical/environmental MG coupled with hydrogen and battery ESSs which interacts with the main grid and external consumers. The system's participation in the electricity market is also managed. Numerical analyses are conducted using RESs profiles and spot prices of solar panels and wind farms in Abu Dhabi UAE to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller in the presence of uncertainties. Based on the results the developed control has been proven to effectively manage the integrated system by meeting overall constraints and energy demands while also reducing the operational cost of hydrogen devices and extending battery lifetime.

For centuries fossil fuels have been the primary energy source but their unchecked use has led to significant environmental and economic challenges that now shape the global energy landscape. The combustion of these fuels releases greenhouse gases which are critical contributors to the acceleration of climate change resulting in severe consequences for both the environment and human health. Therefore this article examines the potential of hydrogen as a sustainable alternative energy source capable of mitigating these climate impacts. It explores the properties of hydrogen with particular emphasis on its application in industrial burners and furnaces underscoring its clean combustion and high energy density in comparison to fossil fuels and also examines hydrogen production through thermochemical and electrochemical methods covering green gray blue and turquoise pathways. It discusses storage and transportation challenges highlighting methods like compression liquefaction chemical carriers (e.g. ammonia) and transport via pipelines and vehicles. Hydrogen combustion mechanisms and optimized burner and furnace designs are explored along with the environmental benefits of lower emissions contrasted with economic concerns like production and infrastructure costs. Additionally industrial and energy applications safety concerns and the challenges of large-scale adoption are addressed presenting hydrogen as a promising yet complex alternative to fossil fuels.

Hydrogen price significantly impacts its potential as a viable alternative in the sustainable energy transition. This study introduces a synergy-based Hydrogen Pricing Mechanism (HPM) within an integrated framework. The HPM leverages synergy between a Renewable-Penetrated Electric Power System (RP-EPS) and a Hydrogen Energy System (HES). Utilizing the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) it facilitates data exchange quantifying integration levels and simplifying the complexities. The study assesses the HPM’s operational sensitivity across various scenarios of hydrogen generation transportation and storage. It also evaluates the benefits of synergy-based versus stand-alone HPMs. Findings indicate that the synergy-based HPM effectively integrates infrastructure and operational improvements from both EPS and HES leading to optimized hydrogen pricing.