Medium and long-term hydrogen production technology routes and hydrogen energy supply scenarios in Guangdong Province

Abstract

Hydrogen is a type of clean secondary energy, and the hydrogen energy supply is vital to regional energy development. Guangdong is at the forefront of hydrogen energy deployment in China, and aims to achieve peak carbon by 2030. However, hydrogen production research is challenging due to complex technical routes, technical maturity levels, life-cycle carbon emissions, and costs. Multi-time-scale research is necessary to explore optimal production paths and their contributions to CO2 emission reduction. This study discussed key technologies and the technical maturity of five hydrogen production routes: production from industrial byproducts and coal, wind, hydro-, and photovoltaic power. Policy scenarios were designed to investigate the potential of these routes and technology deployment intensity under medium- and long-term scenarios. This paper proposes a roadmap for hydrogen development and provides a reference for hydrogen production planning in Guangdong. This methodology can be applied in other regions for hydrogen energy development research.