Power to gas technology: Application and optimization for inland transportation through Nile River

Abstract

This paper discusses the technical and economic feasibility of a renewable energy-based system, aimed to replace the traditional diesel engines implemented on a pushed and pusher bulk carrier barge. This barge has a challenging navigational route in the Nile River from Alexandria to Aswan and vice versa. It is scheduled to complete 30 trips annually while carrying 850 tons/trip. The system is based on photovoltaic panels, and was selected with its excess energy to be stored primarily in the form of H2 gas through electrolysis, and batteries (i.e. Power to Gas technology) to be later converted back to electrical energy through fuel cells. Hence, an operation algorithm was formulated to optimize the performance of the system by defining operating modes that use solar energy, hydrogen energy, batteries, or hybrid energy coming from multiple sources that result in an internal rate of return (IRR) of 15.1% and overall efficiency of 57.9%. This high efficiency is due to the nature of water current that flows from south to north of Egypt, therefore, causing a significant reduction in power demand in the trip from Aswan to Alexandria that requires 11,980 kW h, compared to the trip from Alexandria to Aswan that requires 21,064 kW h.