Hydrogen-related Technologies Research Articles

Mapping Hydrogen Initiatives in Italy: An Overview of Funding and Projects

The global momentum towards hydrogen has led to various initiatives aimed at harnessing hydrogen’s potential. In particular, low-carbon hydrogen is recognized for its crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions across hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, cement and heavy-duty transport. This study focuses on the presentation of all hydrogen-related financing initiatives in Italy, providing a comprehensive overview of the various activities and their geographical locations. The examined funding comes from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), from projects directly funded through the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) and from several initiatives supported by private companies or other funding sources (hydrogen valleys). Specific calls for proposals within the PNRR initiative outline the allocation of funds, focusing on hydrogen production in brownfield areas (52 expected hydrogen production plants by 2026), hydrogen use in hard-to-abate sectors and the establishment of hydrogen refuelling stations for both road (48 refuelling stations by 2026) and railway transport (10 hydrogen-based railway lines). A detailed description of the funded initiatives (150 in total) is presented, encompassing their geographical location, typology and size (when available), as well as the funding they have received. This overview sheds light on regions prioritising decarbonisation efforts in heavy-duty transport, especially along cross-border commercial routes, as evident in northern Italy. Conversely, some regions concentrate more on local transport, typically buses, or on the industrial sector, primarily steel and chemical industries. Additionally, the study presents initiatives aimed at strengthening the national manufacturing capacity for hydrogen-related technologies, alongside new regulatory and incentive schemes for hydrogen. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to foster connections among existing and planned projects, stimulate new initiatives along the entire hydrogen value chain, raise an awareness of hydrogen among stakeholders and promote cooperation and international competitiveness.

Development of computational approach for calculation of hydrogen solubility in hydrocarbons for treatment of petroleum

For hydrogenation process, knowing the solubility of hydrogen (H2) in hydrocarbons is critical to improve the efficiency of process. We investigated the H2 solubility computation in four heavy crude oil feedstocks using machine learning techniques. Temperature, pressure, and feedstock type were considered as the inputs to the models, while the hydrogen solubility was the sole response. Specifically, we employed three different models: Support Vector Regression (SVR), Gaussian process regression (GPR), and Bayesian ridge regression (BRR). To achieve the best performance, the hyper-parameters of these models optimized using the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). We evaluated the models using a dataset of solubility measurements in various feedstocks, and we compared their performance based on several metrics. Our results show that the WOA-SVR model tuned with WOA achieves the best performance overall, with a RMSE of 1.38 × 10−2 and an R-squared of 0.991. These findings suggest that machine learning techniques can provide accurate predictions of hydrogen solubility in different feedstocks, which could be useful in the development of hydrogen-related technologies. Besides, the solubility of hydrogen in the four heavy oil fractions are estimated in different ranges of temperatures and pressures of 150 °C–350 °C and 1.2 MPa–10.8 MPa, respectively.

Hydrogen Valleys: Assessing the EU Legal and Financial Frameworks that Enable the Hydrogen Economy

To achieve the target of 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen production in the European Union (EU) by 2030, the REPowerEU Plan commits the EU to double the number of hydrogen ‘valleys’, which will contribute to accelerating the production of renewable hydrogen to replace natural gas, coal and oil in hard-to-decarbonise economic sectors. This article reviews ongoing efforts to lay down a regulatory framework to move from natural gas to renewable hydrogen and, not least, to define renewable hydrogen. As a strategic net-zero industry, renewable hydrogen is to grow and flourish in hydrogen valleys, meaning a place where energy production and multiple-uses will meet and expand. This requires substantial EU financial support, at least until renewable hydrogen becomes a mature technology that can compete in the market with today's cheaper (and polluting) fossil-based hydrogen. While there are open questions about the pace and viability of hydrogen-related technologies and infrastructure, for instance concerning long-distance transportation, hydrogen valleys appear as a no-regret option encompassing renewable energy production, repurposed gas infrastructure, electricity grid and batteries. If successfully implemented, the option would enhance renewable hydrogen production and the decarbonisation of the industry and transport.

An Insight into Underground Hydrogen Storage in Italy

Hydrogen is a key energy carrier that could play a crucial role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Hydrogen-related technologies are considered flexible solutions to support the large-scale implementation of intermittent energy supply from renewable sources by using renewable energy to generate green hydrogen during periods of low demand. Therefore, a short-term increase in demand for hydrogen as an energy carrier and an increase in hydrogen production are expected to drive demand for large-scale storage facilities to ensure continuous availability. Owing to the large potential available storage space, underground hydrogen storage offers a viable solution for the long-term storage of large amounts of energy. This study presents the results of a survey of potential underground hydrogen storage sites in Italy, carried out within the H2020 EU Hystories “Hydrogen Storage In European Subsurface” project. The objective of this work was to clarify the feasibility of the implementation of large-scale storage of green hydrogen in depleted hydrocarbon fields and saline aquifers. By analysing publicly available data, mainly well stratigraphy and logs, we were able to identify onshore and offshore storage sites in Italy. The hydrogen storage capacity in depleted gas fields currently used for natural gas storage was estimated to be around 69.2 TWh.

Formation of Ba3Nb0.75Mn2.25O9-6H during thermo-chemical reduction of Ba4NbMn3O12-12R.

The resurgence of inter-est in hydrogen-related technologies has stimulated new studies aimed at advancing lesser-developed water-splitting processes, such as solar thermochemical hydrogen production (STCH). Progress in STCH has been largely hindered by a lack of new materials able to efficiently split water at a rate comparable to ceria under identical experimental conditions. BaCe0.25Mn0.75O3 (BCM) recently demonstrated enhanced hydrogen production over ceria and has the potential to further our understanding of two-step thermochemical cycles. A significant feature of the 12R hexa-gonal perovskite structure of BCM is the tendency to, in part, form a 6H polytype at high temperatures and reducing environments (i.e., during the first step of the thermochemical cycle), which may serve to mitigate degradation of the complex oxide. An analogous compound, namely BaNb0.25Mn0.75O3 (BNM) with a 12R structure was synthesized and displays nearly complete conversion to the 6H structure under identical reaction conditions as BCM. The structure of the BNM-6H polytype was determined from Rietveld refinement of synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data and is presented within the context of the previously established BCM-6H structure.

Economic Analysis of a Hydrogen Power Plant in the Portuguese Electricity Market

Hydrogen is regarded as a flexible energy carrier with multiple applications across several sectors. For instance, it can be used in industrial processes, transports, heating, and electrical power generation. Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources, can have a crucial role in the pathway towards global decarbonization. However, the success of green hydrogen production ultimately depends on its economic sustainability. In this context, this work evaluates the economic performance of a hydrogen power plant participating in the electricity market and supplying multiple hydrogen consumers. The analysis includes technical and economical details of the main components of the hydrogen power plant. Its operation is simulated using six different scenarios, which admit the production of either grey or green hydrogen. The scenarios used for the analysis include data from the Iberian electricity market for the Portuguese hub. An important conclusion is that the combination of multiple services in a hydrogen power plant has a positive effect on its economic performance. However, as of today, consumers who would wish to acquire green hydrogen would have to be willing to pay higher prices to compensate for the shorter periods of operation of hydrogen power plants and for their intrinsic losses. Nonetheless, an increase in green hydrogen demand based on a greater environmental awareness can lead to the need to not only build more of these facilities, but also to integrate more services into them. This could promote the investment in hydrogen-related technologies and result in changes in capital and operating costs of key components of these plants, which are necessary to bring down production costs.

Green hydrogen production: Analysis for different single or combined large-scale photovoltaic and wind renewable systems

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier to provide sustainable energy use throughout the world. Researchers and policy-makers have focused on investigations in three areas of hydrogen-related technologies in the energy market: (1) alternative fuel production based on hydrogen and carbon dioxide; (2) hydrogen injection to the natural gas pipeline networks; (3) usage of hydrogen in transportation applications. One of the most important challenges facing hydrogen technology development is the production of green hydrogen, which can be achieved through water electrolysis coupled with renewable power generation. Although many studies have been conducted, there is still a need for further development, which requires open-source big data and models and standardization of the processes to compare different renewable-based hydrogen production systems. To fill this research gap, the performance of a grid-connected hybrid wind turbine and solar photovoltaic-based water electrolysis systems for large-scale green hydrogen production were investigated. The objective is to propose an accurate methodology to compare wind and solar systems, or hybrid ones, for green hydrogen production worldwide. A large dataset describing the hybrid wind turbine-photovoltaic hydrogen production in various locations was created by performing dynamic simulations using TRNSYS and analyzed using MATLAB and Excel. Several dimensionless indicators were employed and assessed for standardizing the performance evaluation procedure of renewable-based hydrogen production systems, including the electrolyser load portion satisfied by the wind turbine and photovoltaic, the generated wind turbine and photovoltaic energy portion supplied to the electrolyser load and the quantity of energy exported to and imported from the grid. The annual and monthly values of these indicators together with the total amount of green hydrogen production were estimated for 28 global locations. The procedure applied can be easily used to test small-scale applications like residential users or large-scale applications like industrial users, as well as for any hydrogen demand and climatic conditions.

Multi-period multi-objective optimisation model for multi-energy urban-industrial symbiosis with heat, cooling, power and hydrogen demands

Hydrogen is seen as the future energy that will help decarbonise the emissions of global energy use. Hydrogen-related technologies have recently attracted considerable attention due to their relatively low emissions and high energy yield. Even then, little attention was given to hydrogen's use in energy distribution networks. A renewable-based multi-energy system (RMES) considers power, cooling, heating, and hydrogen energy as utility systems for integrated urban and industrial areas to achieve urban-industrial symbiosis. This paper formulates the RMES as a multi-period mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model to optimise the RMES, which minimises the financial implications and environmental impacts. Renewable solar energy is provided to the system using the photovoltaic solar system for electrical generation and the solar thermal collector for heat generation. Thermal, battery and hydrogen energy storages are integrated into the RMES to mitigate the energy supply and demand fluctuations and intermittency. A comparative analysis is conducted to individually identify the performance of different energy storage systems for economic and environmental objective functions. The comparison findings indicate that ESS performs better with 45% usage increases under objective environmental functions. The multi-objective optimisation using the ϵ-constraint method obtains the Pareto optimal solutions to the proposed multi-objective problem, which the 4th solution (ATC: 782,500 USD/y; ACE: 2,777.03 kg CO2-eq/y) appears to be the most viable. The solution maintains a high-profit level without sacrificing many opportunities for carbon emissions reduction while satisfying both objective functions simultaneously to a degree of satisfaction of 0.75. Overall, the proposed RMES is proven economical and environmentally friendly for implementation; however, the model is needed to optimise the system based on the specific situation. This study provides the optimisation model for energy recovery and technology optimisation in the multi-energy system for urban-industrial symbiosis, which minimises carbon emission and energy cost. This could lead the energy sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, considering the economically and environmentally viable.

The importance of hydrogen for energy diversity of Turkey's energy production: 2030 projection

Hydrogen and hydrogen-related technologies will have an important role in world energy projection in the near future. Interest in hydrogen technologies will also increase, especially due to the smart cities concept and the increase in renewable energy supply. In addition to being a clean energy source, the tendency of hydrogen to 100% renewable energy supply makes it ahead of other alternative fuels. The share of hydrogen and related energy technologies in reducing global warming and emissions will continue to increase day by day. For this reason, projections and investment opportunities should be determined for the coming years. In energy projections, the evaluation of hydrogen in terms of energy diversity until 2030 is carried out with EnergyPlan software. Accordingly, the reduction in the amount of emissions and costs were determined by mixing hydrogen into the natural gas pipelines by 5–10, and 20% by volume by producing electrolyzers with photovoltaic systems and according to the number of vehicles with fuel cells in the transportation sector until 2030.

A Review of the Impact of Hydrogen Integration in Natural Gas Distribution Networks and Electric Smart Grids

Hydrogen technologies have been rapidly developing in the past few decades, pushed by governments’ road maps for sustainability and supported by a widespread need to decarbonize the global energy sector. Recent scientific progress has led to better performances and higher efficiencies of hydrogen-related technologies, so much so that their future economic viability is now rarely called into question. This article intends to study the integration of hydrogen systems in both gas and electric distribution networks. A preliminary analysis of hydrogen’s physical storage methods is given, considering both the advantages and disadvantages of each one. After examining the preeminent ways of physically storing hydrogen, this paper then contemplates two primary means of using it: integrating it in Power-to-Gas networks and utilizing it in Power-to-Power smart grids. In the former, the primary objective is the total replacement of natural gas with hydrogen through progressive blending procedures, from the transmission pipeline to the domestic burner; in the latter, the set goal is the expansion of the implementation of hydrogen systems—namely storage—in multi-microgrid networks, thus helping to decarbonize the electricity sector and reducing the impact of renewable energy’s intermittence through Demand Side Management strategies. The study concludes that hydrogen is assumed to be an energy vector that is inextricable from the necessary transition to a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable future.

Formation of 6H-Ba3Ce0.75Mn2.25O9 during Thermochemical Reduction of 12R-Ba4CeMn3O12: Identification of a Polytype in the Ba(Ce,Mn)O3 Family.

The resurgence of interest in a hydrogen economy and the development of hydrogen-related technologies has initiated numerous research and development efforts aimed at making the generation, storage, and transportation of hydrogen more efficient and affordable. Solar thermochemical hydrogen production (STCH) is a process that potentially exhibits numerous benefits such as high reaction efficiencies, tunable thermodynamics, and continued performance over extended cycling. Although CeO2 has been the de facto standard STCH material for many years, more recently 12R-Ba4CeMn3O12 (BCM) has demonstrated enhanced hydrogen production at intermediate H2/H2O conditions compared to CeO2, making it a contender for large-scale hydrogen production. However, the thermo-reduction stability of 12R-BCM dictates the oxygen partial pressure (pO2) and temperature conditions optimal for cycling. In this study, we identify the formation of a 6H-BCM polytype at high temperature and reducing conditions, experimentally and computationally, as a mechanism and pathway for 12R-BCM decomposition. 12R-BCM was synthesized with high purity and then controllably reduced using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) data is used to identify the formation of a 6H-Ba3Ce0.75Mn2.25O9 (6H-BCM) polytype that is formed at 1350 °C under strongly reducing pO2. Density functional theory (DFT) total energy and defect calculations show a window of thermodynamic stability for the 6H-polytype consistent with the XRD results. These data provide the first evidence of the 6H-BCM polytype and could provide a mechanistic explanation for the superior water-splitting behaviors of 12R-BCM.

Tuning Phase Structure of Nickel-Ruthenium Alloys via MOFs In Situ Hydrolysis toward Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Performance in Alkaline.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and corresponding derivatives have attracted wide attention. As electrocatalysts, these derivatives (metal, metal compound, and associated composites) have a wide range of application in water-splitting devices, fuel cells, and other hydrogen-related technologies. However, with the exception of pyrolysis, limited studies have documented generated metal nanoparticles from MOFs hydrolysis reactions. Herein, NiRu dual-phase alloy nanoparticles are synthesized via in situ MOFs hydrolysis mediating solvothermal reduction reaction. The hcp-phase NiRu alloys can be rationally tuned by modulating experimental parameters of feeding metal ratio and reaction time. The volcanic link between hydrogen evolution reaction activity and the descriptor of d band center is investigated using experimentally determined valence bands. Furthermore, compared with fcc-phase NiRu alloys, it is theoretically revealed that hcp-phase NiRu alloys optimize d band structure and have a lower energy barrier. This finding broadens the range of application for MOFs hydrolysis reactions and highlights advantages of metal alloys manufactured from MOFs hydrolysis reactions.

Prospects of producing solid oxide fuels interconnectors processed by metal injection moulding

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are one of the most promising and interesting devices for green energy production, especially for stationary applications, mainly because of their high efficiency in the development race to achieve the true energy transition in which hydrogen-related technologies are key. These devices operate at high temperatures and, therefore, several challenges related to the materials used need to be solved. Interconnectors are a significantly relevant part of SOFCs, as they allow the coupling of devices in series for power production in industrial quantities. This work presents meaningful comparisons between two Fe-based alloys with different Cr content, Crofer 22 and Crofer 30, and one Ni-based alloy, Inconel 718. The study presents the analysis of their processability by metal injection moulding (MIM) as the selected technique to combine the possibility of obtaining devices with high geometrical complexity and with realistic possibilities of industrialisation. The injection, debinding and sintering processes are optimized for each kind of material explaining the influence of the powder size distribution and shape. Additionally, functional properties of the interconnectors are analysed as the electrical resistivity and preliminary permeability tests proving the suitability of the properties obtained. Furthermore, different 3D printed inserts were used to facilitate possible interconnector designs, saving the costly development of MIM metal moulds. The work highlights the improvements that can be made in the development of interconnectors both by an adequate selection of raw materials and by an optimal performance of each stage of processing, opening up prospects for improvement that can soon be tackled.

Flexibility improvement evaluation of hydrogen storage based on electricity–hydrogen coupled energy model

To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, decarbonization in the energy sector is crucial. Hydrogen is expected to be vital for achieving the aim of carbon neutrality for two reasons: use of power-to-hydrogen (P2H) can avoid carbon emissions from hydrogen production, which is traditionally performed using fossil fuels; Hydrogen from P2H can be stored for long durations in large scales and then delivered as industrial raw material or fed back to the power system depending on the demand. In this study, we focus on the analysis and evaluation of hydrogen value in terms of improvement in the flexibility of the energy system, particularly that derived from hydrogen storage. An electricity–hydrogen coupled energy model is proposed to realize the hourly-level operation simulation and capacity planning optimization aiming at the lowest cost of energy. Based on this model and considering Northwest China as the region of study, the potential of improvement in the flexibility of hydrogen storage is determined through optimization calculations in a series of study cases with various hydrogen demand levels. The results of the quantitative calculations prove that effective hydrogen storage can improve the system flexibility by promoting the energy demand balance over a long term, contributing toward reducing the investment cost of both generators and battery storage and thus the total energy cost. This advantage can be further improved when the hydrogen demand rises. However, a cost reduction by 20% is required for hydrogen-related technologies to initiate hydrogen storage as long-term energy storage for power systems. This study provides a suggestion and reference for the advancement and planning of hydrogen storage development in regions with rich sources of renewable energy.

Cost analysis of stable electric and hydrogen energy supplies derived from 100% variable renewable resources systems

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the costs and specifications of 100% VRE (Variable Renewable Energy) systems that consist of VRE and energy storage systems. For that purpose, a model was developed to comprehensively analyze the costs and the specifications of 100% VRE systems. Using the model, the following results were obtained: (1) A hybrid storage system of battery and hydrogen storage that are optimally combined, as well as the optimal combination of solar and wind power, could reduce supply costs of electric energy. Concerning the hybrid storage system, the battery that operates with a daily cycle cooperates with the hydrogen storage that operates with a multiple day cycle, and; (2) multi-production systems that supply electric energy as well as hydrogen energy could reduce energy supply costs when an optimal combination of electric energy and hydrogen energy is achieved. However, the supply costs of stable electric energy as well as hydrogen energy from the 100% VRE systems are more expensive than the target costs in 2030 in Japan. In order to reduce the energy supply costs, it is necessary to reduce the costs of elemental technologies such as solar, wind power, battery, and hydrogen-related technologies.

Hydrogen fuel and fuel cell technology for cleaner future: a review

One of the main problems facing our planetary bodies is unexpected and sudden climate change due to continuously increasing global energy demand, which currently is being met by fossil fuels. Hydrogen is considered as one of the major energy solutions of the twenty-first century, capable of meeting future energy needs. Being 61a zero-emission fuel, it could reduce environmental impacts and craft novel energy opportunities. Hydrogen through fuel cells can be used in transport and distributed heating, as well as in energy storage systems. The transition from fossil-based fuels to hydrogen requires intensive research to overcome scientific and socio-economic barriers. The purpose of this paper is to reflect the current state, related issues, and projection of hydrogen and fuel elements within the conceptual framework of 61a future sustainable energy vision. An attempt has been made to compile in this paper the past hydrogen-related technologies, present challenges, and role of hydrogen in the future.

Transition Analysis of Budgetary Allocation for Projects on Hydrogen-Related Technologies in Japan

Hydrogen technologies are promising candidates of new energy technologies for electric power load smoothing. However, regardless of long-term public investment, hydrogen economy has not been realized. In Japan, the National Research and Development Institute of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a public research-funding agency, has invested more than 200 billion yen in the technical development of hydrogen-related technologies. However, hydrogen technologies such as fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have not been disseminated yet. Continuous and strategic research and development (R&D) are needed, but there is a lack of expertise in this field. In this study, the transition of the budgetary allocations by NEDO were analyzed by classifying NEDO projects along the hydrogen supply chain and research stage. We found a different R&D focus in different periods. From 2004 to 2007, empirical research on fuel cells increased with the majority of research focusing on standardization. From 2008 to 2011, investment in basic research of fuel cells increased again, the research for verification of fuel cells continued, and no allocation for research on hydrogen production was confirmed. Thereafter, the investment trend did not change until around 2013, when practical application of household fuel cells (ENE-FARM) started selling in 2009, in terms of hydrogen supply chain. Hydrogen economy requires a different hydrogen supply infrastructure, that is, an existing infrastructure of city gas for ENE-FARM and a dedicated infrastructure for FCVs (e.g., hydrogen stations). We discussed the possibility that structural inertia could prevent the transition to investing more in hydrogen infrastructure from hydrogen utilization technology. This work has significant implications for designing national research projects to realize hydrogen economy.

Feasibility analysis of utilising underground hydrogen storage facilities in integrated energy system: Case studies in China

Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) is regarded as a promising approach to achieve seasonal energy storage in the future, due to its synergy with surplus renewable energy generation. This paper proposes the idea of implementing an Integrated Energy System (IES) with UHS and other hydrogen related technologies, called Hydrogen Penetrated Energy System (HPES), and presents an intelligent planning procedure applicable to the HPES. Depleted oil/gas fields and salt caverns are selected as the study objects to explore the ability of UHS to achieve seasonal peak shaving, facilitate the renewable energy, and improve the energy system efficiency. Firstly, three regions in China are analysed in terms of geological conditions, resource endowment and load characteristics, to illustrate the feasibility of building a HPES in each of the analysed region. A two-stage planning method for the HPES is proposed and a detailed UHS model is established where the process of cushion gas accumulation is emulated and the influence of the diurnal temperature range is considered. Comprehensive case studies are subsequently carried out for typical cities or regions in Eastern, Northern and North-eastern China and the results demonstrate that the HPES can lower the cost, improve the energy efficiency and reduce the level of carbon dioxide emission to some extent. A lateral comparison also shows that the combination of salt cavern UHS and offshore wind power has a broad application prospect in the east coast of China, and the investment in the HPES scheme for Jintan can be recovered within 8 to 9 years. In addition, compared with the benchmark scheme without UHS and large penetration of renewables, the HPES scheme for Jintan can improve the primary energy efficiency by 22.26% and 27.75% in the first decade and second decade, reduce the carbon dioxide emission by more than 96%, and consume an average level of 95.85% of the offshore wind power. Although the investment payback period of HPES cases in north and northwest China is relatively long (20 years or more), significant return and benefits can be obtained in the long term.

Energy System Modelling of Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen as an Enabler of Sectoral Integration within a Decarbonization Pathway

This paper explores the alternative roles hydrogen can play in the future European Union (EU) energy system, within the transition towards a carbon-neutral EU economy by 2050, following the latest policy developments after the COP21 agreement in Paris in 2015. Hydrogen could serve as an end-use fuel, a feedstock to produce carbon-neutral hydrocarbons and a carrier of chemical storage of electricity. We apply a model-based energy system analysis to assess the advantages and drawbacks of these three roles of hydrogen in a decarbonized energy system. To this end, the paper quantifies projections of the energy system using an enhanced version of the PRIMES energy system model, up to 2050, to explore the best elements of each role under various assumptions about deployment and maturity of hydrogen-related technologies. Hydrogen is an enabler of sectoral integration of supply and demand of energy, and hence an important pillar in the carbon-neutral energy system. The results show that the energy system has benefits both in terms of CO2 emission reductions and total system costs if hydrogen technology reaches high technology readiness levels and economies of scale. Reaching maturity requires a significant investment, which depends on the positive anticipation of market development. The choice of policy options facilitating visibility by investors is the focus of the modelling in this paper.

A quantitative analysis of Japan's optimal power generation mix in 2050 and the role of CO2-free hydrogen

In this study, the authors developed an Optimal Power Generation Mix model, which takes into account the supply chain of imported and domestically produced hydrogen, also modeling the intermittency of renewable energy at a 10-min resolution, and applied it to the case of Japan, to investigate quantitatively the possibility of achieving zero emission in 2050. Even if the costs of wind and solar PV decline drastically towards 2050 and the huge potentials that have been assumed in the literature are realized, the total system costs escalate significantly with very high shares of intermittent renewables. Since the use of hydrogen produced by excess electricity from renewable power generation sources can only make a slight contribution to reducing this escalation, it would be invaluable to introduce at least a significant amount of electricity generated by “zero-emission thermal power” technologies, including CO2-free imported hydrogen or conventional thermal power generation with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Nuclear power is also estimated as being effective in reducing the cost hike associated with achieving zero emissions. The results of this study could contribute to giving insights regarding global deployment of hydrogen-related technologies, as well as to presenting a frame of reference for Japan's future energy policies.