Production & Supply Chain

This article describes an example of using the measurement data from photovoltaic systems and wind turbines to perform practical probabilistic calculations around green hydrogen generation. First the power generated in one month by a ground-mounted photovoltaic system with a peak power of 3 MWp is described. Using the Metalog family of probability distributions the probability of generating selected power levels corresponding to the amount of green hydrogen produced is calculated. Identical calculations are performed for the simulation data allowing us to determine the power produced by a wind turbine with a maximum power of 3.45 MW. After interpolating both time series of the power generated by the renewable energy sources to a common sampling time they are summed. For the sum of the power produced by the photovoltaic system and the wind turbine the probability of generating selected power levels corresponding to the amount of green hydrogen produced is again calculated. The presented calculations allow us to determine with probability distribution accuracy the amount of hydrogen generated from the energy sources constituting a mix of photovoltaics and wind. The green hydrogen production model includes the hardware and the geographic context. It can be used to determine the preliminary assumptions related to the production of large amounts of green hydrogen in selected locations. The calculations presented in this article are a practical example of Business Intelligence.

Industrial catalysts are accelerating the global transition toward renewable energy serving as enablers for innovative technologies that enhance efficiency lower costs and improve environmental sustainability. This review explores the pivotal roles of industrial catalysts in hydrogen production biofuel generation and biomass conversion highlighting their transformative impact on renewable energy systems. Precious-metal-based electrocatalysts such as ruthenium (Ru) iridium (Ir) and platinum (Pt) demonstrate high efficiency but face challenges due to their cost and stability. Alternatives like nickel-cobalt oxide (NiCo2O4) and Ti3C2 MXene materials show promise in addressing these limitations enabling costeffective and scalable hydrogen production. Additionally nickel-based catalysts supported on alumina optimize SMR reducing coke formation and improving efficiency. In biofuel production heterogeneous catalysts play a crucial role in converting biomass into valuable fuels. Co-based bimetallic catalysts enhance hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) processes improving the yield of biofuels like dimethylfuran (DMF) and γ-valerolactone (GVL). Innovative materials such as biochar red mud and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) facilitate sustainable waste-to-fuel conversion and biodiesel production offering environmental and economic benefits. Power-to-X technologies which convert renewable electricity into chemical energy carriers like hydrogen and synthetic fuels rely on advanced catalysts to improve reaction rates selectivity and energy efficiency. Innovations in non-precious metal catalysts nanostructured materials and defect-engineered catalysts provide solutions for sustainable energy systems. These advancements promise to enhance efficiency reduce environmental footprints and ensure the viability of renewable energy technologies.

The global energy sector is undergoing a transition towards sustainable sources with hydrogen emerging as a promising alternative due to its high energy content and clean-burning properties. The integration of hydrogen into the energy landscape represents a significant advancement towards a cleaner greener future. This paper introduces an innovative decision support system (DSS) that combines multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and decision tree methodologies to optimize hydrogen production decisions in emerging economies using Saudi Arabia as a case study. The proposed DSS developed using MATLAB Web App Designer tools evaluates various scenarios related to demand and supply cost and profit margins policy implications and environmental impacts with the goal of balancing economic viability and ecological responsibility. The study's findings highlight the potential of this DSS to guide policymakers and industry stakeholders in making informed scalable and flexible hydrogen production decisions that align with sustainable development goals. The novel DSS framework integrates two key influencing factors technical and logistical by considering components such as data management modeling analysis and decision-making. The analysis component employs statistical and economic methods to model and assess the costs and benefits of eleven strategic scenarios while the decision-making component uses these results to determine the most effective strategies for implementing hydrogen production to minimize risks and uncertainties.

Renewable hydrogen obtained from renewable energy sources especially when produced through water electrolysis is gaining attention as a promising energy vector to deal with the challenges of climate change and the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. In this context this work analyzes a pilot plant that uses this technology installed in the Itumbiara Hydropower Plant located between the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais Brazil from technical and economic perspectives. The plant utilizes an alkaline electrolyzer synergistically powered by solar photovoltaic and hydro sources. Cost data for 2019 when the equipment was purchased and 2020–2023 when the plant began continuous operation are considered. The economic analysis includes annualized capital maintenance and variable costs which determines the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH). The results obtained for the pilot plant’s LCOH were USD 13.00 per kilogram of H2 with an efficiency loss of 2.65% for the two-year period. Sensitivity analysis identified the capacity factor (CF) as the main determinant of the LCOH. Even though the analysis specifically applies to the Itumbiara Hydropower Plant the CF can be extrapolated to larger plants as it directly influences hydrogen production regardless of plant size or capacity

Green hydrogen derived from renewable resources is increasingly recognized as a basis for future low-carbon energy systems. This study presents a comprehensive techno-environmental comparison of two thermochemical conversion pathways utilizing biomethane: steam methane reforming (SMR) and chemical looping reforming (CLR). Through integrated process simulations compositional analyses energy modeling and cost evaluation we examine the comparative advantages of each route in terms of hydrogen yield carbon separation efficiency process energy intensity and economic performance. The results demonstrate that CLR achieves a significantly higher hydrogen concentration in the raw syngas stream (62.44%) than SMR (43.14%) with reduced levels of residual methane and carbon monoxide. The energy requirements for hydrogen production are lower in the CLR system averaging 1.2 MJ/kg compared to 3.2 MJ/kg for SMR. Furthermore CLR offers a lower hydrogen production cost (USD 4.3/kg) compared to SMR (USD 6.4/kg) primarily due to improved thermal integration and the absence of solvent-based CO2 capture. These insights highlight the potential of CLR as a next-generation reforming strategy for producing green hydrogen. To advance its technology readiness it is proposed to develop a pilot-scale CLR facility to validate system performance under operational conditions and support the pathway to commercial implementation.

The current work presents the electro-oxidation of olive mill and biodiesel wastewaters in an alkaline medium with the aim of hydrogen production and simultaneous reduction in the organic pollution content. The process is performed at laboratory scale in an own-design single cavity electrolyzer with graphite electrodes and no membrane. The system and the procedures to generate hydrogen under ambient conditions are described. The gas flow generated is analyzed through gas chromatography. The wastewater balance in the liquid electrolyte shows a reduction in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) pointing to a decrease in the organic content. The experimental results confirm the production of hydrogen with different purity levels and the simultaneous reduction in organic contaminants. This wastewater treatment appears as a feasible process to obtain hydrogen at ambient conditions powered with renewable energy sources resulting in a more competitive hydrogen cost.

The depletion of fossil fuels in the current world has been a major concern due to their role as a primary source of energy for many countries. As non-renewable sources continue to deplete there is a need for more research and initiatives to reduce reliance on these sources and explore better alternatives such as renewable energy. Hydrogen is one of the most intriguing energy sources for producing power from fuel cells and heat engines without releasing carbon dioxide or other pollutants. The production of hydrogen via the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources such as solar energy is one of the possible uses for solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). SOECs can be classified as either oxygen-ion conducting or proton-conducting depending on the electrolyte materials used. This article aims to highlight broad and important aspects of the hybrid SOEC-based solar hydrogen-generating technology which utilizes a mixed-ion conductor capable of transporting both oxygen ions and protons simultaneously. In addition to providing useful information on the technological efficiency of hydrogen production in SOEC this review aims to make hydrogen production more efficient than any other water electrolysis system.

With the rapid growth of photovoltaic installed capacity photovoltaic hydrogen production can effectively solve the problem of electricity mismatch between new energy output and load demand. Photovoltaic electrolysis systems pose unique challenges due to their nonlinear multivariable and complex nature. This paper presents a thorough investigation into the control methodologies for such systems focusing on both Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and electrolysis cell control strategies. Beginning with a comprehensive review of MPPT techniques including classical intelligent optimization and hybrid approaches the study delves into the intricate dynamics of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Cells (PEMEL). Considering the nonlinear and time-varying characteristics of PEMEL various control strategies such as Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) robust Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Fault Tolerant Control (FTC) are analyzed. Evaluation metrics encompass stability accuracy computational complexity and response speed. This paper provides a comparative analysis encapsulating the strengths and limitations of each MPPT and PEM control technique.

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy holds significant potential in providing sustainable solutions to achieve Net-Positive goals. However one technical challenge hindering its widespread adoption is the absence of open-source precise modeling tools for sizing and simulating integrated system components under realworld conditions. In this work we developed an adaptable user-friendly and open-source Python® model that simulates grid-connected battery-assisted photovoltaic-electrolyzer systems for green hydrogen production and conversion into high-value chemicals and fuels. The code is publicly available on GitHub enabling users to predict solar hydrogen system performance across various sizes and locations. The model was applied to three locations with distinct climatic patterns – Sines (Portugal) Edmonton (Canada) and Crystal Brook (Australia) – using commercial photovoltaic and electrolyzer systems and empirical data from different meteorological databases. Sines emerged as the most productive site with an annual photovoltaic energy yield 39 % higher than Edmonton and 9 % higher than Crystal Brook. When considering an electrolyzer load with 0.5 WEC/Wp PV capacity solely powered by the photovoltaic park the solar-to-hydrogen system in Sines can reach an annual green hydrogen production of 27 g/Wp PV and export 283 Wh/Wp PV of surplus electricity to the grid. Continuous 24/7 electrolyzer operation increased the annual hydrogen output to 33 g/Wp PV with a reduced Levelized Cost of Hydrogen of €6.42/kgH2. Overall this work aims to advance green hydrogen production scale-up fostering a more sustainable global economy.

With the increasing warming of the atmosphere and the growth of energy consumption in the world new methods and highly efficient energy systems take precedence over conventional methods. This study concentrates on the proposition and techno-economical investigation of a hybrid wind-solar energy system encompassing flat plate solar collector for the purpose of clean hydrogen and electricity generation. The proposed system is a combination of flat plate solar collectors wind turbine organic Rankine cycle and proton exchange membrane electrolyser. Wind speed turbine inlet temperature incident solar irradiation and collector-related parameters including its surface area and fluid mass flow rate are selected decision variables the impacts of which on the exergy efficiency and exergy loss of the scheme are examined. The objective functions included total cost rate and total exergy efficiency. The Nelder-Mead optimization method and EES software were utilized to achieve the mentioned goals followed by a comparative case study was conducted for two cities with high potential in Iran. According to the optimization results the exergy efficiency of 13.35% was achieved while the cost rate was equal to $25.48 per hour respectively. According to the sensitivity analysis the increment in the solar collector area incident solar irradiation wind speed and turbine inlet temperature improved the system's technical performance. Furthermore the exergy loss analysis pointed out that the increment in the turbine inlet temperature not only improves the system's performance but also reduces the exergy loss. A comparison of the electricity production in Semnan and Isfahan showed that 1192613.4 and 1188897.6 of electricity were produced in the two cities in one year respectively. The city of Semnan with the production of 2762.86 kg/h of hydrogen presented better system performance compared to the city of Isfahan with 2757.004 kg/h of hydrogen.