Production & Supply Chain

Nickel-based catalysts recognized for their cost-efficiency and availability play a critical role in advancing hydrogen production technologies. This study evaluates their optimization in water electrolysis to improve efficiency and system stability. Key findings highlight the enhancement of these catalysts with nickel-iron oxyhydroxide and nickel-molybdenum co-catalysts. Technological innovations such as Perovskite Solar Cells integration for solar-to-hydrogen conversion are explored. The use of nickel foam enhances electrode durability offering valuable insights into designing sustainable and efficient hydrogen production systems.

A holistic approach to decision-making in modern energy systems is vital due to their increase in complexity and interconnectedness. However decision makers often rely on narrowlyfocused strategies such as economic assessments for energy system strategy selection. The approach in this paper helps considers various factors such as economic viability technological feasibility environmental impact and social acceptance. By integrating these diverse elements decision makers can identify more economically feasible sustainable and resilient energy strategies. While existing focused approaches are valuable since they provide clear metrics of a potential solution (e.g. an economic measure of profitability) they do not offer the much needed system-as-a-whole understanding. This lack of understanding often leads to selecting suboptimal or unfeasible solutions which is often discovered much later in the process when a change may not be possible. This paper presents a novel evaluation framework to support holistic decision-making in energy systems. The framework is based on a systems thinking approach applied through systems engineering principles and model-based systems engineering tools coupled with a multicriteria decision analysis approach. The systems engineering approach guides the development of feasible solutions for novel energy systems and the multicriteria decision analysis is used for a systematic evaluation of available strategies and objective selection of the best solution. The proposed framework enables holistic multidisciplinary and objective evaluations of solutions and strategies for energy systems clearly demonstrates the pros and cons of available options and supports knowledge collection and retention to be used for a different scenario or context. The framework is demonstrated in case study evaluation solutions for a novel energy system of clean hydrogen generation.

The present study aims to conduct a thermodynamic analysis of a novel concept that synergistically integrates clean hydrogen and power production with a liquified natural gas (LNG) regasification system. The designed integrated energy system aims to achieve hydrogen production power production liquified natural gas regasification carbon capture storage and in situ recirculation. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from industrial waste streams is used as a major feedstock and filtration combustion of H2S is employed as a hydrogen production method. CO2 obtained from the combustion process is liquified and pumped at a high pressure to recirculated back to the CO2 cycle power generation combustion process. The flu gas obtained after expansion on the turbine is condensed and CO2 is captured and pressurized. The entire plant is simulated in the Aspen Plus simulation environment and a comprehensive thermodynamic assessment including the energy and exergy analysis is conducted. Additionally several parametric studies and assessments of various factors influencing the system's performance are conducted. From the sensitivity analyses it is found that at 20% CO2 recirculation the hydrogen production rate decreases by 31.81% when the operating pressure is increased from 0.05 bar to 3 bar. The adiabatic temperature is reduced by 39.72% 35.37% and 32.85% when 50% 60% and 70% CO2 is recirculated in the oxidant stream at an oxygen to natural gas (ONG) ratio of 0.5. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are found to be 71.48% and 60.69% respectively. The present system avoids 2571.94 tons/yr of CO2 emissions for clean hydrogen production and 1426.27 tons/yr of CO2 for clean power production which would otherwise be emitted from steam methane reforming and coal gasification.

Climate change is a major concern for the sustainable development of global energy systems. Hydrogen produced through water electrolysis offers a crucial solution by storing and generating renewable energy with minimal environmental impact thereby reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector. Our research evaluates current hydrogen production technologies such as alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) and anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE). We systematically review life cycle assessments (LCA) for these technologies analyzing their environmental impacts and recent technological advancements. This study fills essential gaps by providing detailed LCAs for emerging technologies and evaluating their scalability and environmental footprints. Our analysis outlines the strengths and weaknesses of each technology guiding future research and assisting stakeholders in making informed decisions about integrating hydrogen production into the global energy mix. Our approach highlights operational efficiencies and potential sustainability enhancements by employing comparative analyses and reviewing advancements in membrane technology and electrocatalysts. A significant finding is that PEMWE when integrated with renewable energy sources offers rapid response capabilities that are vital for adaptive energy systems and reducing carbon footprints.

The escalating urgency to address climate change has sparked unprecedented interest in green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. The intermittent nature of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) like wind and solar can introduce unpredictability into the energy supply potentially causing mismatches in the power grid. To this end green hydrogen production can provide a solution by enhancing system flexibility thereby accommodating the fluctuations and stochastic characteristics of RES. Furthermore green hydrogen could play a pivotal role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and promoting sector coupling. This research article endeavors to delve into this subject by developing a dynamic techno-economic analysis tool capable of flexibly assessing the optimal setup of Alkaline (AEL) electrolysis coupled with RES in a specific region or hub. The focus lies on achieving costeffectiveness efficiency and sustainable production of green hydrogen. The tool leverages a comprehensive dataset covering a full year of hourly data on both renewable electricity production from intermittent RES and wholesale electricity market prices alongside customizable inputs from users. It can be applied across various scenarios including direct coupling with dedicated RES plants and hybrid configurations utilizing the electricity grid as a backup source. The model optimizes RES electrolyser and hydrogen storage capacities to minimize the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) and/or the operational Carbon Intensity (CI) of hydrogen produced. The tool is applied within a real-world application study in the framework of the TRIERES Hydrogen Valley Project which is taking shape in Peloponnese Greece. For the various configurations analysed the LCOH ranges from 7.75 to 12.68 €/kgH2. The cost-optimal system configuration featuring a hybrid RES power supply of 12 MW solar and 19 MW wind energy alongside with 3.5 tonnes of hydrogen storage leads to a minimum LCOH of 7.75 €/kgH2. Subsidies on electrolyser stack and balance of plant CAPEX can reduce LCOH by up to 0.6 €/kgH2.

Proposals for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 include scaling-up electrolytic hydrogen production however this poses technical economic and environmental challenges. One such challenge is for policymakers to ensure a sustainable future for the environment including freshwater and land resources while facilitating low-carbon hydrogen production using renewable wind and solar energy. We establish a country-by-country reference scenario for hydrogen demand in 2050 and compare it with land and water availability. Our analysis highlights countries that will be constrained by domestic natural resources to achieve electrolytic hydrogen self-sufficiency in a net-zero target. Depending on land allocation for the installation of solar panels or wind turbines less than 50% of hydrogen demand in 2050 could be met through a local production without land or water scarcity. Our findings identify potential importers and exporters of hydrogen or conversely exporters or importers of industries that would rely on electrolytic hydrogen. The abundance of land and water resources in Southern and Central-East Africa West Africa South America Canada and Australia make these countries potential leaders in hydrogen export.

The article presents the application of the metalog family of probability distributions to predict the energy production of photovoltaic systems for the purpose of generating small amounts of green hydrogen in distributed systems. It can be used for transport purposes as well as to generate energy and heat for housing purposes. The monthly and daily amounts of energy produced by a photovoltaic system with a peak power of 6.15 kWp were analyzed using traditional statistical methods and the metalog probability distribution family. On this basis it is possible to calculate daily and monthly amounts of hydrogen produced with accuracy from the probability distribution. Probabilistic analysis of the instantaneous power generated by the photovoltaic system was used to determine the nominal power of the hydrogen electrolyzer. In order to use all the energy produced by the photovoltaic system to produce green hydrogen the use of a stationary energy storage device was proposed and its energy capacity was determined. The calculations contained in the article can be used to design home green hydrogen production systems and support the climate and energy transformation of small companies with a hydrogen demand of up to ¾ kg/day.

Installing multi-renewable energy (RE) power plants at designated locations known as RE parks is a promising solution to address their intermittent power. This research focuses on optimizing RE parks for three scenarios: photovoltaic (PV)-only wind-only and hybrid PV-wind with the aim of generating green hydrogen in locations with different RE potentials. To ensure rapid response to RE fluctuations a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is employed. Furthermore this research proposes detailed models for manufacturer-provided wind power curves electrolyzer efficiency against its operating power and electrolyzer cost towards its capacity. Two optimization cases are conducted in MATLAB evaluating the optimum sizes of the plants in minimizing levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) using classical discrete combinatorial method and determining the ideal PV-to-wind capacity ratio for operating PEM electrolyzer within hybrid PV-wind parks using particle swarm optimization. Numerical simulations show that wind power-based hydrogen production is more cost-effective than PV-only RE parks. The lowest LCOH $4.26/kg H2 and the highest LCOH $14.378/kg H2 are obtained from wind-only and PV-only configurations respectively. Both occurred in Adum-Kirkeby Denmark as it has highest average wind speed and lowest irradiance level. Notably LCOH is reduced with the hybrid PV-wind configuration. The results suggest the optimum PV-to-wind capacity ratio is 65:35 on average and indicate that LCOH is more sensitive to electrolyzer’s cost than to electricity tariff variation. This study highlights two important factors i.e. selecting the suitable location based on the available RE resources and determining the optimum size ratio between the plants within the RE park.

The current transition to renewable energies has motivated research into energy storage using various techniques. Of these electrolysis for pure hydrogen production stands out as hydrogen is a crucial energy vector molecule capable of decarbonizing multiple sectors. However the low efficiency of the electrolysis process presents a major limitation. In this work an electrochemical evaluation of catalyst materials for water splitting under elevated temperature and pressure (ETP) conditions to replicate realistic electrolyzer operating environments is proposed. The NiFeP/Zn-coated nickel foam electrodes demonstrated a brain-like compact morphology with EDS revealing a composition of 62.20 at% Ni 13.90 at% Fe 1.60 at% Zn 7.65 at% P and 15.21 at% O2. Electrochemical performance tests revealed a significant reduction in overpotential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) achieving 38 mV at 8 bar and 80 ◦C while the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) exhibited 119 mV at 1 bar and 80 ◦C both at |30| mAcm− 2 . Chronopotentiometry confirmed the stability of the coating for over 24 h at high current density of |400| mAcm− 2 . The bifunctional capability of the coating was validated in a fullcell test obtaining a remarkably low overpotential of 1.47 V at 30 mAcm− 2 for overall water splitting under 80 ◦C and 8 bar conditions.

In Poland hydrogen production should be carried out using renewable energy sources particularly wind energy (as this is the most efficient zero-emission technology available). According to hydrogen demand in Poland and to ensure stability as well as security of energy supply and also the realization of energy policy for the EU it is necessary to use offshore wind energy for direct hydrogen production. In this study a centralized offshore hydrogen production system in the Baltic Sea area was presented. The goal of our research was to explore the possibility of producing hydrogen using offshore wind energy. After analyzing wind conditions and calculating the capacity of the proposed wind farm a 600 MW offshore hydrogen platform was designed along with a pipeline to transport hydrogen to onshore storage facilities. Taking into account Poland’s Baltic Sea area wind conditions with capacity factor between 45 and 50% and having obtained results with highest monthly average output of 3508.85 t of hydrogen it should be assumed that green hydrogen production will reach profitability most quickly with electricity from offshore wind farms.