An energy-economic analysis of a hybrid PV/wind/battery energy-driven hydrogen generation system in rural regions of Egypt

Abstract

The production of storable green hydrogen via water electrolysis, driven by renewable energy, is an attractive alternative for paving the way for a carbon-free business and a feasible path to energy sustainability. This study investigated the technical and economic feasibility of a stand-alone hybrid renewable energy system (PV/WT-BS/WE) that relied on a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), battery storage (BS) and water electrolyzer (WE) to generate electricity and green hydrogen in three Egyptian regions with different climate. The targeted outcomes in terms of electricity and hydrogen generation, system efficiency, and cost analysis are computed, displayed, and compared with other hydrogen production scenarios with various working policies includes (PV-BS/WE), (PV/WT-WE), and (PV-WE) utilizing MATLAB/Simulink computer simulation. According to the findings, the PV/WT-BS/WE scenario is more advantageous in Ras Ghareb as an optimal site, with a yearly generation of electricity, hydrogen of (16,984.64 kWh, 3127.65 m3), and overall system average efficiency of 14.41 %. A favorable LCOH of 2.22 $/kg found in Ras-Garb, in northeastern Egypt. This study could guide authorities in developing various national-scale hydrogen production systems since it outlines the techno-economic features of various scenarios across the country. Additionally, the effectiveness of the suggested system is evaluated against existing literature.