Economic, environmental, and social impacts of the hydrogen supply system combining wind power and natural gas

Abstract

Hydrogen economy is one of the most attractive alternatives to the current carbon-based energy system, since it can be produced from diverse resources and used as a carbon-free energy carrier from the end-user's perspective. This study proposes a hybrid hydrogen supply system for the transport sector, which includes all the life stages from production, transport, and storage to final distribution (fueling stations). Particularly, we consider two types of resources for hydrogen production (i.e., renewable wind power and conventional natural gas) to identify the benefits and bottlenecks of hydrogen supply systems from the economic, environmental, and social perspectives. To achieve this goal, rigorous process models for the involved processes (i.e., hydrogen production by steam methane reforming from natural gas and water electrolysis using wind power, and hydrogen storage and transport) are developed. To illustrate the capability of the proposed system, we conducted a design problem within the hydrogen supply system in Jeju Island, Korea. In this case study, three scenarios were generated by combining different hydrogen production options: 1) wind power-based hydrogen production, 2) natural gas-based hydrogen production, and 3) integrated hydrogen production. As a result, we discussed the optimal hydrogen supply system, from the life cycle perspective, by identifying technical bottlenecks, major cost-drivers, and CO2 burdens.