Determining the appropriate location for renewable hydrogen development using multi‐criteria decision‐making approaches

Abstract

Due to population growth and industrial development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), energy demand has increased. On the other hand, the consumption of fossil fuels has led to adverse environmental effects. This has led to government investment in clean energy. In many sectors of this country, there is good potential for using wind energy. Production of hydrogen from wind farms is a method for reducing energy swings, and it may also be utilized as a fuel in Saudi Arabia's businesses. As a result, the purpose of this research is to discover the best location for hydrogen generation from wind energy utilizing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques. The criteria were weighted using the Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) approach. The most important criteria were determined to be “average wind speed,” “number of refineries in the region,” and “wind power density” with values of 0.2780, 0.2570, and 0.1570, sequentially. Then, the Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS) approach was used to rank the locations. Finally, three other techniques, namely the Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS), the COmplex PRoportional ASsessment (COPRAS), and the Weighted Sum Model (WSM) were used to validate the results. Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province was recognized as the best position for hydrogen expansion in the country. The Eastern Province, with a rated capacity of 900 kW, was anticipated to produce 1863 MWh of energy and 30.16 tons of hydrogen every year. Highlights Wind potential in Saudi Arabia was evaluated for hydrogen production. Location planning was analyzed to rank locations. multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods were used for ranking. The best place to generate wind power was Eastern Province. A wind-powered hydrogen facility in the Eastern Province was expected to produce 1862.95 MW of electricity and 30.16 tons of hydrogen per year using a wind turbine with a rated power of 900 kW.