Large-vscale hydrogen production and storage technologies: Current status and future directions

Over the past years, hydrogen has been identified as the most promising carrier of clean energy. In a world that aims to replace fossil fuels to mitigate greenhouse emissions and address other environmental concerns, hydrogen generation technologies have become a main player in the energy mix. Since hydrogen is the main working medium in fuel cells and hydrogen-based energy storage systems, integrating these systems with other renewable energy systems is becoming very feasible. For example, the coupling of wind or solar systems hydrogen fuel cells as secondary energy sources is proven to enhance grid stability and secure the reliable energy supply for all times. The current demand for clean energy is unprecedented, and it seems that hydrogen can meet such demand only when produced and stored in large quantities. This paper presents an overview of the main hydrogen production and storage technologies, along with their challenges. They are presented to help identify technologies that have sufficient potential for large-scale energy applications that rely on hydrogen. Producing hydrogen from water and fossil fuels and storing it in underground formations are the best large-scale production and storage technologies. However, the local conditions of a specific region play a key role in determining the most suited production and storage methods, and there might be a need to combine multiple strategies together to allow a significant large-scale production and storage of hydrogen.     

Hydrogen production for energy: An overview

Power to hydrogen is a promising solution for storing variable Renewable Energy (RE) to achieve a 100% renewable and sustainable hydrogen economy. The hydrogen-based energy system (energy to hydrogen to energy) comprises four main stages; production, storage, safety and utilisation. The hydrogen-based energy system is presented as four corners (stages) of a square shaped integrated whole to demonstrate the interconnection and interdependency of these main stages. The hydrogen production pathway and specific technology selection are dependent on the type of energy and feedstock available as well as the end-use purity required. Hence, purification technologies are included in the production pathways for system integration, energy storage, utilisation or RE export. Hydrogen production pathways and associated technologies are reviewed in this paper for their interconnection and interdependence on the other corners of the hydrogen square.Despite hydrogen being zero-carbon-emission energy at the end-use point, it depends on the cleanness of the production pathway and the energy used to produce it. Thus, the guarantee of hydrogen origin is essential to consider hydrogen as clean energy. An innovative model is introduced as a hydrogen cleanness index coding for further investigation and development.     

Economic viability assessment of sustainable hydrogen production,storage, and utilisation technologies integrated into on- and off-grid micro-grids: A performance comparison of different meta-heuristics

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the development of zero-emissions, sustainable energy systems utilising the potential of hydrogen energy technologies. However, the improper long-term economic assessment of costs and consequences of such hydrogen-based renewable energy systems has hindered the transition to the so-called hydrogen economy in many cases. One of the main reasons for this is the inefficiency of the optimization techniques employed to estimate the whole-life costs of such systems. Owing to the highly nonlinear and non-convex nature of the life-cycle cost optimization problems of sustainable energy systems using hydrogen as an energy carrier, meta-heuristic optimization techniques must be utilised to solve them. To this end, using a specifically developed artificial intelligence-based micro-grid capacity planning method, this paper examines the performances of twenty meta-heuristics in solving the optimal design problems of three conceptualised hydrogen-based micro-grids, as test-case systems. Accordingly, the obtained numeric simulation results using MATLAB indicate that some of the newly introduced meta-heuristics can play a key role in facilitating the successful, cost-effective development and implementation of hydrogen supply chain models. Notably, the moth-flame optimization algorithm is found capable of reducing the life-cycle costs of micro-grids by up to 6.5% as compared to the dragonfly algorithm.     

H2POWER: Development of a methodology to calculate life cycle cost of small and medium-scale hydrogen systems

At this time, hydrogen-based power plants and large hydrogen production facilities are capital intensive and unable to compete financially against hydrocarbon-based energy production facilities. An option to overcome this problem and foster the introduction of hydrogen technology is to introduce small and medium-scale applications such as residential and community hydrogen refueling units. Such units could potentially be used to generate both electricity and heat for the home, as well as hydrogen fuel for the automobile. Cost modeling for the integration of these three forms of energy presents several methodological challenges. This is particularly true since the technology is still in the development phase and both the financial and the environmental cost must be calculated using mainly secondary sources. In order to address these issues and aid in the design of small and medium-scale hydrogen systems, this study presents a computer model to calculate financial and environmental costs of this technology using different hydrogen pathways. The model can design and compare hydrogen refueling units against hydrocarbon-based technologies, including the “gap” between financial and economic costs. Using the methodology, various penalties and incentives that can foster the introduction of hydrogen-based technologies can be added to the analysis to study their impact on financial cost.     

Risk-based optimal operation of power,heat and hydrogen-based microgrid considering a plug-in electric vehicle

The growing interest in integrating variable renewable energy resources (RES), besides global concerns about greenhouse pollution, brings multiple challenges for eco and environmentally-friendly operation of systems. Meanwhile, the simultaneous energy supply can improve energy efficiency and mitigate the fluctuation of RES compared with a single-energy system. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the optimal scheduling of heating, power, and hydrogen-based microgrid incorporated with RES and plug-in electric vehicles (PEV). The fuel-cell-based hydrogen and electrolyzer facilities are integrated into the multi-energy system to investigate the power-to-hydrogen and hydrogen-to-power technologies in the model. Besides typical electric and thermal loads, the proposed system can directly sell hydrogen to hydrogen-based industrial applications. The PEV as a flexible resource is employed to facilitate the integration of solar energy. Due to the substantial uncertainty from solar energy, price, load, and EVs' arriving and departing times, the risk management of the model based on the conditional value-at-risk is developed to show the operator's behavior against the random inputs and their risk. Results show that integrating the hydrogen storage and plug-in electric vehicle in the model results in a daily cost reduction of up to 9.28%.     

An integrated impact assessment of hydrogen as a future energy carrier in Nigeria's transportation,energy and power sectors

A hydrogen economy, the long-term goal of visionary nations, has the potential to provide energy security, along with environmental and economic benefits. The concept of a hydrogen energy economy was first conceived at The Hydrogen Economy Miami Energy (THEME) Conference, held in March 1974 in Miami, Florida, where the International Association for Hydrogen Energy was established. Forty years later, advances in hydrogen technologies have led the world's most developed countries to invest extensively in preparation for a future hydrogen-based economy. However, the transition from a conventional petroleum-based energy economy to a hydrogen economy involves many uncertainties regarding concerns such as the development of efficient fuel cell technologies, problems in hydrogen production and distribution infrastructure, hydrogen safety issues, and the response of carbon-based fuel markets. This paper presents an assessment of the economic impact of hydrogen energy on the transportation and energy use sectors of Nigeria, along with implications for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The analysis uses the Long range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) technology database and model to simultaneously consider the impact of alternative and conventional technologies and fuels on these sectors.     

Emerging technologies by hydrogen: A review

The majority of energy being used is obtained from fossil fuels, which are not renewable resources and require a longer time to recharge or return to its original capacity. Energy from fossil fuels is cheaper but it faces some challenges compared to renewable energy resources. Thus, one of the most potential candidates to fulfil the energy requirements are renewable resources and the most environmentally friendly fuel is Hydrogen. Hydrogen is a clean and efficient energy carrier and a hydrogen-based economy is now widely regarded as a potential solution for the future of energy security and sustainability. Hydrogen energy became the most significant energy as the current demand gradually starts to increase. It is an important key solution to tackle the global temperature rise. The key important factor of hydrogen production is the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen production technologies are commercially available, while some of these technologies are still under development. Therefore, the global interest in minimising the effects of greenhouse gases as well as other pollutant gases also increases. In order to investigate hydrogen implementation as a fuel or energy carrier, easily obtained broad-spectrum knowledge on a variety of processes is involved as well as their advantages, disadvantages, and potential adjustments in making a process that is fit for future development. Aside from directly using the hydrogen produced from these processes in fuel cells, streams rich with hydrogen can also be utilised in producing ethanol, methanol, gasoline as well as various chemicals of high value. This paper provided a brief summary on the current and developing technologies of hydrogen that are noteworthy.     

Stakeholder perceptions towards the transition to a hydrogen economy in Poland

Poland has significant reserves of energy in the form of coal. However, the exploitation of these reserves could lead to significant carbon emissions. Hydrogen technologies present a potentially sustainable option for the Polish energy system. This paper reviews the existing Polish energy system, resources, policies and measures from the perspective of planning a transition to a hydrogen-based economy. The key challenges and opportunities gathered by systematic consultation of senior stakeholders are presented. Coke oven gas and coal gasification are the major short and medium term sources of hydrogen. Underground conversion of coal deposits with integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) is most important in the long term. Other opportunities include development of renewables, by-product hydrogen and nuclear power. Current lack of infrastructure, particularly for CCS, hydrogen pipelines and clean coal is seen as a significant barrier. Regional and central government should cooperate with industry to develop a portfolio of demonstration projects to provide experience and stimulate demand for hydrogen.     

Key performance indicators evaluation of a domestic hydrogen fuel cell CHP

The project H2home – decentralised energy supply by hydrogen fuel cells – is part of the HYPOS initiative (Hydrogen Power Storage & Solutions East German) and has the aim to develop an embedded system suitable for the highly efficient use of electrical, thermal and cooling energy provided by green hydrogen in domestic applications. This system is characterized by a hydrogen CHP plant based on a low temperature PEM fuel cell and a hydrogen-based heat generator module with the application of condensation technology as well as an integrated solution for the use of electrical energy in an AC and DC grid through power electronic components. The electric efficiency of the CHP is nearly 50% and the total efficiency higher than 95%.To evaluate the performance of the proposed technology the first step was to model a reference case using the simulation tool TRNSYS^®. Therefore, a multi-family house with 16 residential units was chosen. Within the next step different technologies for the energy supply in complex buildings were identified and evaluated. For this purpose, various Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) have been defined and summarized in three main groups allowing a technical, ecological and economical comparison of the selected technologies. The method as well as the main results of the KPI investigations will be explained in the present paper.     

Techno-economic analysis of the integration of hydrogen energy technologies in renewable energy-based stand-alone power systems

A large number of stand-alone power systems that are based on fossil fuel or renewable energy (RE) based, are installed all over Europe. Such systems, often comprising photovoltaics (PV) and/or diesel generators provide power to communities or technical installations, which do not have access to the local or national electricity grid. The replacement of conventional technologies such as diesel generators and/or batteries with hydrogen technologies, including fuel cells in an existing PV-diesel stand-alone power system providing electricity to a remote community was simulated and optimised, using the hybrid optimisation model for electric renewables (HOMER) simulation tool. A techno-economic analysis of the existing hybrid stand-alone power system and the optimised hydrogen-based system was also conducted. The results of the analyses showed that the replacement of fossil fuel based gensets with hydrogen technologies is technically feasible, but still not economically viable, unless significant reductions in the cost of hydrogen technologies are made in the future.     

Safety strategy for the first deployment of a hydrogen-based green public building in France

HELION, a subsidiary of AREVA in charge of the business unit Hydrogen and energy storage, is deploying for the first time in a French public building, a hydrogen-based energy storage system, the Greenergy Box™. The 50 kWe system is coupled with a photovoltaic farm to ensure up to 45% electrical autonomy and power backup to the building. The safety system and siting measures of the complete hydrogen chain are described. The paper also highlights the work accomplished with Fire Authorities and Public to gain the acceptance of the project and allow the deployment of four other hydrogen-based green buildings.     

Technological-economic assessment and optimization of hydrogen-based transportation systems in China: A life cycle perspective

Hydrogen energy is increasingly incorporated into long-distance transportation systems. Whether the coupled hydrogen-based transportation system can achieve a sustainable business operation mode requires quantification of environmental and economic performance by a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. This study proposes a cost-based life cycle assessment method to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of hydrogen-based long-distance transportation systems. The innovative cost assessment method introduces internal and external economic costs to conduct a multi-scenario assessment. According to the key factors of mileage, government subsidies and hydrogen fuel prices, this research identifies the key cost component of the hydrogen-based transportation system in China by using a multilevel comparison with cell-driven and oil-fueled vehicles. The results show that hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are competitive in terms of both fuel costs and environmental costs. As hydrogen costs are expected to be gradually reduced by 43% in the future, hydrogen logistics vehicles and heavy trucks are expected to have better life-cycle economics than other energy vehicles by approximately 2030. Hydrogen buses will outperform other vehicles by approximately 2033, while hydrogen passenger cars will have a reduced life-cycle cost per kilometre within 0.1 CHY/km compared to other vehicles by approximately 2035. Ultimately, fuel consumption, average annual mileage, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle policy are three factors that have greater impacts. Policy implications are put forward to implement optimal investment plan for hydrogen transportation systems.     

Evaluation of automobiles with alternative fuels utilizing multicriteria techniques

This work applies the non-parametric technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to conduct a multicriteria comparison of some existing and under development technologies in the automotive sector. The results indicate that some of the technologies under development, such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, can be classified as efficient when evaluated in function of environmental and economic criteria, with greater importance being given to the environmental criteria. The article also demonstrates the need to improve the hydrogen-based technology, in comparison with the others, in aspects such as vehicle sale costs and fuel price.     

Waste-to-hydrogen technologies: A critical review of techno-economic and socio-environmental sustainability

Hydrogen is a fuel with immense potential of satisfying the need for environmentally benign energy sources, and waste-derived hydrogen is promising in diverting waste streams away from landfills and other costly treatment. Nonetheless, many waste-to-hydrogen pathways are incipient and require significant efforts to be established as an indispensable element of the path towards sustainability. This review comprehensively evaluates waste-to-hydrogen technologies from technological, economic, environmental, and societal viewpoints. State-of-the-art of five technologies was summarized, focusing on emerging trends in published literature. Several knowledge gaps, future research prospects, and possible improvements related to performance, greenhouse gas emissions, production costs, hydrogen-based transportation, and public acceptance were also identified. Fulfilling the lack of techno-economic and environmental studies of waste-to-hydrogen routes, incorporation of renewable energy into processes, and necessities of scaling-up and production cost reduction are prominent among research needs recognized through this review. Conclusions of this study will be beneficial towards sustainably integrating hydrogen into large-scale energy systems.     

Hydrogen and fuel cells: Towards a sustainable energy future

A major challenge—some would argue, the major challenge facing our planet today—relates to the problem of anthropogenic-driven climate change and its inextricable link to our global society's present and future energy needs [King, D.A., 2004. Environment—climate change science: adapt, mitigate, or ignore? Science 303, 176–177]. Hydrogen and fuel cells are now widely regarded as one of the key energy solutions for the 21st century. These technologies will contribute significantly to a reduction in environmental impact, enhanced energy security (and diversity) and creation of new energy industries. Hydrogen and fuel cells can be utilised in transportation, distributed heat and power generation, and energy storage systems. However, the transition from a carbon-based (fossil fuel) energy system to a hydrogen-based economy involves significant scientific, technological and socioeconomic barriers to the implementation of hydrogen and fuel cells as clean energy technologies of the future. This paper aims to capture, in brief, the current status, key scientific and technical challenges and projection of hydrogen and fuel cells within a sustainable energy vision of the future. We offer no comments here on energy policy and strategy. Rather, we identify challenges facing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies that must be overcome before these technologies can make a significant contribution to cleaner and more efficient energy production processes.     

Environmental impact assessment of hydrogen-based auxiliary power system onboard

The maritime transportation sector globally depends on fossil resources while this option is both diminishing and causing serious environmental and air pollution issues. Recently, hydrogen energy becomes one of the key alternatives addressing these concerns under the increasing press effect of the international community.The use of hydrogen as an energy source in ships is provided by fuel cell technologies. Although there are many types of fuel cells, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is the most widely used fuel cell type in the maritime industry. The most important handicap for the use of hydrogen in ships seems to be the production and storage of it. For this reason, fuel cell technology and hydrogen production and storage systems must be developed in order to use hydrogen as the main propulsion system in long-distance transportation in the maritime sector.In this study, Reference Energy System (RES) is established for a chemical tanker ship to determine the current energy flow from various resources to demands. Then the appropriate parameters are assigned and this framework is specified by the respective data. Following this phase; the current situation has been developed as the base scenario and analyzed by using the Low Emission Analysis Programme (LEAP) energy modeling platform. Additionally, two alternative scenarios including the hydrogen-based have been applied against the base scenario to compare the environmental results in the 2017–2050 time period. When the results are evaluated, it is predicted that although it is not sufficient for IMO and EMSA targets, implementation of hydrogen contributes to the carbon emission reduction positively and it will be more beneficial to apply to the main drive system with the technological developments to be made in the near future.     

Cost,footprint, and reliability implications of deploying hydrogen in off-grid electric vehicle charging stations: A GIS-assisted study for Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

For the first time, we quantify cost, footprint, and reliability implications of deploying hydrogen-based generation in off-grid electric vehicle charging stations (CS) using an optimization model coupled with a geographic information system (GIS) analysis for the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We also account for the challenges associated with wind energy deployment as a candidate generation technology within city centers. The analysis was restricted to carbon-free technologies: photovoltaics (PV), wind, battery, and hydrogen fuel-cells. At current prevailing technology costs, hydrogen can reduce the required footprint of off-grid CSs by 25% at a small incremental cost increase without impacting the charging reliability. By 2030, however, hydrogen will simultaneously provide the footprint and cost advantages. If we allow as little as 5% of the annual load to be unmet, the required footprint of the CS decreases by 60%. The levelized cost of energy values for the CS by 2030 can range between 0.13 and 0.20 $/kWh depending on learning-curve assumptions. The footprints calculated are then mapped to five land parcel categories in Riyadh: gas station, hospital, mall, school, and university. Incorporating hydrogen in CS design increases the number of parcels that could accommodate CSs by 15–45% via reducing the required PV array (i.e., footprint).     

Recent advances in membrane technologies for hydrogen purification

Planet Earth is facing accelerated global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The United Nations agreement at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015 highlighted the importance of reducing CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Hydrogen is a clean and efficient energy carrier and a hydrogen-based economy is now widely regarded as a potential solution for the future of energy security and sustainability. Although hydrogen can be produced from water electrolysis, economic reasons dictate that most of the H₂ produced worldwide, currently comes from the steam reforming of natural gas and this situation is set to continue in the foreseeable future. This production process delivers a H₂-rich mixture of gases from which H₂ needs to be purified up to the ultra-high purity levels required by fuel cells (99.97%). This driving force pushes for the development of newer H₂ purification technologies that can be highly selective and more energy efficient than the traditional energy intensive processes of pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation. Membrane technology appears as an obvious energy efficient alternative for producing the ultra-pure H₂ required for fuel cells. However, membrane technology for H₂ purification has still not reached the maturity level required for its ubiquitous industrial application. This review article covers the major aspects of the current research in membrane separation technology for H₂ purification, focusing on four major types of emerging membrane technologies (carbon molecular sieve membranes; ionic-liquid based membranes; palladium-based membranes and electrochemical hydrogen pumping membranes) and establishes a comparison between them in terms of advantages and limitations.     

Renewable energy-to-green hydrogen: A review of main resources routes,processes and evaluation

Hydrogen is a fuel with enormous potential to meet the need for ecologically friendly energy sources. Hydrogen from renewable sources can reroute renewable sources out of landfills and other expensive treatments. Despite this, several renewables-to-hydrogen methods are generally in their infancy and need substantial work to be recognised as a crucial aspect of the approach to sustainability. This analysis reviews renewables-to-hydrogen technologies extensively from technical, economic, ecological, and social perspectives. Five technologies current states were summarised, emphasising developing developments in published literature. Several information gaps, research directions, opportunities, and potential improvements were also found with efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, manufacturing costs, hydrogen-based mobility, and public acceptability. Incorporating renewable energy into processes, reducing production costs, and addressing the absence of techno-economic and ecological analyses of renewables-to-hydrogen pathways are the most urgent research requirements identified in this study. The results of this study will help make it easier to use hydrogen in extensive energy facilities in a safe way.     

Wind energy and the hydrogen economy—review of the technology

The hydrogen economy is an inevitable energy system of the future where the available energy sources (preferably the renewable ones) will be used to generate hydrogen and electricity as energy carriers, which are capable of satisfying all the energy needs of human civilization. The transition to a hydrogen economy may have already begun. This paper presents a review of hydrogen energy technologies, namely technologies for hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization. Possibilities for utilization of wind energy to generate hydrogen are discussed in parallel with possibilities to use hydrogen to enhance wind power competitiveness.