Techno-economic analysis of a grid/fuel cell/PV/electrolyzer system for hydrogen and electricity production in the countries of African and Malagasy council for higher education (CAMES)

Abstract

The current electricity challenges in Africa have spurred the interest of governments in incorporating renewable energy sources into the energy mix. The use of hybrid solar energy systems has become a practical choice for electrification. The novelty of the paper is threefold: (i) The Grid/Fuel Cell/PV/Electrolyzer hybrid system is modeled, simulated, and optimized in for some communities of the nineteen countries of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) for the very first time; (ii) The levelized costs of hydrogen and energy were evaluated and compared; (iii) PV, fuel cell, grid purchases, and grid sales power productions were determined and compared. The study findings showed a levelized cost of energy varying between US$ 0.238/kWh (in Madagascar) and US$ 0.344/kWh (in Gabon). Subsequently, among the West, Central, and East African countries of CAMES, Mali, Chad, and Burundi were the countries with the smallest LCOE respectively. Also, the levelized cost of hydrogen ranged between US$ 1.84/kg (in Madagascar) and US$ 2.17/kg (in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea). The computation of the net present cost indicated a variation between 183,536 US$ (in Madagascar) and 216,115 US$ (in Gabon). The PV, fuel cell, grid purchases, and grid sales power productions were between 34,044 kWh/year (in Gabon) and 53,176 kWh/year (in Mali) for PV productions; between 43,526 kWh/year (in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and 43,784 kWh/year (in Chad) for fuel cell productions; between 29,976 kWh/year (in Senegal) and 30,700 kWh/year (in the Congo Republic) for grid purchases power productions; and between 11,604 kWh/year (in Gabon) and 29,608 kWh/year (in Mali) for grid sales productions respectively. It was concluded that the PV power production was the highest power generated by the hybrid system when compared with fuel cell, grid sales, and grid purchases power productions. Concerning the PV penetration, it varied between 54.2 % (in Gabon) and 84.7 % (in Mali). The present work is aimed at decision-makers so that they become aware of the need to urgently develop the renewable energy sector in the countries for a successful energy transition in Africa.