Integrated hydrogen production strategy based on multi-objective optimization considering carbon dioxide emission reduction goals

Abstract

Hydrogen is a green energy source and can help mitigate environmental problems such as global warming. However, various challenges must be overcome before the hydrogen economy can be activated. To accelerate the hydrogen economy, it is important to secure economic feasibility and maintain a sustainable environment under the initial hydrogen demand. This study focuses on an optimal hydrogen production strategy using multi-objective optimization. The hybrid-based hydrogen production facility (H-HPF) was integrated based on steam methane reforming-based HPF (S-HPF) and water electrolysis-based HPF (W-HPF), considering both annual capital expenditure and CO2 emissions minimization based on future hydrogen demand. Annual investment costs and CO2 emissions were considered simultaneously when optimizing the proposed H-HPF to meet the economic feasibility and environmental requirements. In addition, multi-objective optimization was performed to obtain two minimized objective functions. The CO2 emissions based on multi-objective optimization were reduced by 88.1% compared with that for the S-HPF, whereas the annual investment costs increased by 26.6%. Consequently, the hydrogen production strategy of the proposed H-HPF was compromised by the production cost and amount of CO2 emissions. This study provides valuable insights from economic and environmental perspectives for potential stakeholders wishing to install an HPF and reduce CO2 emissions.