Can Green Hydrogen Production Be Economically Viable under Current Market Conditions

Abstract

This paper discusses the potential of green hydrogen production in a case study of a Slovenian hydro power plant. To assess the feasibility and eligibility of hydrogen production at the power plant, we present an overview of current hydrogen prices and the costs of the power-to-gas system for green hydrogen production. After defining the production cost for hydrogen at the case study hydro power plant, we elaborate on the profitability of hydrogen production over electricity. As hydrogen can be used as a sustainable energy vector in industry, heating, mobility, and the electro energetic sectors, we discuss the current competitiveness of hydrogen in the heating and transport sectors. Considering the current prices of different fuels, it is shown that hydrogen can be competitive in the transport sector if it is unencumbered by various environmental taxes. The second part of the paper deals with hydrogen production in the context of secondary control ancillary service provided by a case study power plant. Namely, hydrogen can be produced during the time period when there is no demand for extra electric power within a secondary control ancillary service, and thus the economics of power plant operation can be improved.

Energy and Economic Analysis of the Hydrothermal Reduction of CO2 into Formate

“…Currently, H 2 is mainly produced from fossil fuels using energy-intensive processes, such as steam methane reforming . Although in the past years, great efforts have been made to produce green hydrogen by water electrolysis and electric energy from renewable sources, this technology is still not economically competitive in comparison to steam methane reforming . The high costs associated with these processes, along with the unfavorable flammability and compressibility of H 2 , have triggered interest in investigating the feasibility of other options, such as in situ H 2 generation by using water as the reaction media and hydrogen donor.…”

Use of Hydrogen as Fuel: A Trend of the 21st Century

“…Nowadays, one of the important economic activities around the world is the H 2 provision to around 90% of user industries; its importance is demonstrated by the fact that in 2018 its supply exceeded 74 million tons, which corresponds to an increase in demand of over three hundred percent compared to 1975. Currently, H 2 is mainly generated by the cracking of fossil fuels, about 6% from natural gas and 2% from coal, thus being called gray hydrogen and brown hydrogen [81][82][83][84].…”

Design and Costs Analysis of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations Based on Different Hydrogen Sources and Plant Configurations

“…With their differences in driving range, energy density, and recharging/refuelling, BEVs and FCEVs technologies can replace fossil fuel-based vehicles [3]. In fact, BEVs are more suitable for light-duty vehicles and short-range use, while FCEVs can be used when longer ranges are required (i.e., trucks, long-distance buses) [4] or when electrification is critical (i.e., power trains, ferries). According to the IEA forecasting, the fuel cell electric vehicle market is beginning to flourish, catalyzed by developments in Asia (i.e., China, Japan, and Korea), where major countries have established aggressive penetration targets for hydrogen-driven FCEVs (1,000,000 vehicles are expected to be on the road by 2030 in China) [5,6].…”