Abstract
The introduction of hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to gradually replace gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles can provide environment and energy security benefits. The deployment of hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support the demonstration and commercialization of FCVs remains a critical barrier to transitioning to hydrogen as a transportation fuel. This study utilizes an engineering methodology referred to as the Spatially and Temporally Resolved Energy and Environment Tool (STREET) to demonstrate how systematic planning can optimize early investments in hydrogen infrastructure in a way that supports and encourages growth in the deployment of FCVs while ensuring that the associated environment and energy security benefits are fully realized. Specifically, a case study is performed for the City of Irvine, California – a target area for FCV deployment – to determine the optimized number and location of hydrogen fueling stations required to provide a bridge to FCV commercialization, the preferred rollout strategy for those stations, and the environmental impact associated with three near-term scenarios for hydrogen production and distribution associated with local and regional sources of hydrogen available to the City. Furthermore, because the State of California has adopted legislation imposing environmental standards for hydrogen production, results of the environmental impact assessment for hydrogen production and distribution scenarios are measured against the California standards. The results show that significantly fewer hydrogen fueling stations are required to provide comparable service to the existing gasoline infrastructure, and that key community statistics are needed to inform the preferred rollout strategy for the stations. Well-to-wheel (WTW) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, urban criteria pollutants, energy use, and water use associated with hydrogen and FCVs can be significantly reduced in comparison to the average parc of gasoline vehicles regardless of whether hydrogen is produced and distributed with an emphasis on conventional resources (e.g., natural gas), or on local, renewable resources. An emphasis on local renewable resources to produce hydrogen further reduces emissions, energy use, and water use associated with hydrogen and FCVs compared to an emphasis on conventional resources. All three hydrogen production and distribution scenarios considered in the study meet California's standards for well-to-wheel GHG emissions, and well-to-tank emissions of urban ROG and NO X. Two of the three scenarios also meet California's standard that 33% of hydrogen must be produced from renewable feedstocks. Overall, systematic planning optimizes both the economic and environmental impact associated with the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure and FCVs.
Highlights
Deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to replace gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles is a transportation strategy capable of achieving long-term energy security, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and improved urban air quality [1,2]
This study introduces additional capabilities of STREET to show how systematic planning can minimize the hydrogen infrastructure required to provide a basic level of hydrogen fueling service, guarantee environmental standards for hydrogen production, maximize environmental benefits, and utilize local resources to the fullest potential thereby optimizing what can be accomplished with limited investments in early-stage hydrogen infrastructure
Aspects of hydrogen infrastructure that are addressed through systematic planning include the optimized number and location of hydrogen fueling stations required to provide a bridge to FCV commercialization; assessment of hydrogen production resources available to the region; and the quantification of the greenhouse gases (GHG), criteria pollutant emissions, energy requirements, and water demands associated with hydrogen production and delivery strategies
Summary
Deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to replace gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles is a transportation strategy capable of achieving long-term energy security, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and improved urban air quality [1,2]. STREET operates at the highest level of spatial detail and integrates multiple considerations including minimizing travel time, land use, vehicle travel density, service area zones and market data on potential FCV customers to determine (1) the optimal number and location of hydrogen fueling stations in a community to reach full-scale FCV demonstration and provide a bridge to commercialization and (2) the preferred rollout strategy for the stations. This study introduces additional capabilities of STREET to show how systematic planning can minimize the hydrogen infrastructure required to provide a basic level of hydrogen fueling service, guarantee environmental standards for hydrogen production, maximize environmental benefits, and utilize local resources to the fullest potential thereby optimizing what can be accomplished with limited investments in early-stage hydrogen infrastructure. Systematic planning is performed with detailed spatial resolution, a combination of several optimization and assessment methodologies, and the utilization of relevant data in order to provide an integrated set of preferred scenarios for early rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in the City
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