DIVE method integration for techno-economic analysis of hydrogen production techniques in India

Abstract

Alternative energy or Renewable energy continues to be a fascination for a long time. Owing to its affordability and low carbon emission, it is in demand in the current Energy era. By the year 2030, thirty-three countries are going to be self-reliant in terms of renewable energy. Depleting nature of conventional energy sources, i.e., fossil fuels hydrogen is most likely to be the most important energy resource after renewable and nuclear power. On the contrary, it is yet to establish itself as a key participant in the energy market, across the globe. With increasing concern about global climate change, governments emphasize creating roadmaps to decarbonize economics, which can only be achieved through low-carbon fuels. In addition, the need for hydrogen can be manifested in technological developments like breakthroughs in electrolysis techniques and the generation of electricity from renewable sources. For developing countries like India, hydrogen energy can be seen as an efficient solution to decarbonize its high energy utilizing sectors like transport and power generation. The projected surge in energy consumption by these industries post-pandemic recovery in the economy of India can be addressed by the large-scale production of hydrogen from renewable sources. In the case of India, hydrogen economy can result in reducing carbon footprint, improving the air quality, and can help in achieving the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the energy sector. The paper assesses the different hydrogen production techniques and evaluates their overall performance in terms of techno-economic analysis with the help of DIVE method for the year 2020, 2030, and 2050.