Technical-economic and socio-political assessment of hydrogen production from solar energy

Abstract

The world is looking for sustainable and clean solutions to the ecological and environmental concerns it faces today. This is reflected in the industry's commitment to finding energy alternatives that meet the required ecological criteria while being fully marketable and able to compete with other traditional sources of energy production. To achieve sustainable growth, a shift towards renewable energy sources is required. Among the widely used renewable energy resources, green hydrogen is an environmentally sustainable solution. This paper investigates the socio-technical-economic impacts of producing green hydrogen from solar energy in Morocco. This study takes into account the costs incurred by this process to verify the economic viability of this practice. The provision of state subsidies has been also studied to investigate its impact on the LCOH and LCOE. Finally, an environmental assessment has been performed to determine the amount of CO2 emissions which could be reduced by the use of hydrogen to fuel heavy-duty vehicles. The obtained findings show that the country has a high potential of hydrogen production from solar energy. The cost of hydrogen production in the country is in the range of 3.49–5.96 $/Kg. The southern region of Morocco results in an attractive LCOH and LCOE. Dakhla and Marrakech have an interesting LCOH of 5,3 $/kg, whilst Tetouan has an LCOH of 5,8 $/kg. Moreover, findings also show that the provision of subsidies could lead to a further decrease of these levelized costs. In Dakhla, a reduction in CapEx can lower the LCOH below 3,5 $/kg. The promise of green hydrogen and especially the economic prospects of its export will probably lead to a new boom in renewable energies in Morocco.