System Study of the Techno-Economic Potential of a Hydrogen System : A case study of Power to Mobility and Power to Power hydrogen systems, stand-alone or integrated with a CHP

Green hydrogen produced with renewable electricity has gotten more attention during the last years and its different usage areas has been identified as an important part of the transition to a fossil free society. In this project the potential of a stand-alone hydrogen system and a hydrogen system integrated with a CHP, are investigated regarding technical and economic feasibility. This is done through a case study at Jönköping Energi, a municipal energy company. The main interest for Jönköping Energi is to investigate Power to Mobility, PtM, where electricity is used to produce hydrogen that is sold as fuel for vehicles. Another usage case of interest for the company is Power to Power, PtP. In PtP, electricity is used to produce hydrogen when electricity prices are low, the hydrogen is then stored and later used to produce electricity again when the prices are higher. For a PtM-system an electrolyser, and a hydrogen storage are needed components. In addition to these components, a fuel cell is needed for a PtP-system. Feasible specific technology for Jönköping Energi is recommended based on a literature review and information regarding the CHP. The combined PtM- and PtP-system is investigated in two contexts, integrated with Jönköping Energi’s CHP and stand-alone. Electricity prices affect the profitability of the studied systems and therefore scenarios with high and low prices are used. A script was created in MATLAB to do the calculations regarding economic and technical feasibility of the integrated and stand-alone system with high and low electricity prices. This resulted in a PtM-system with a Proton exchange membrane electrolyser of 1 MW and a pressurized hydrogen storage tank of 12 MWh, as the most profitable system with a hydrogen demand of 360 kg/day. The integrated system shows slightly higher Net Present Value than the stand-alone system. With low electricity prices, within both contexts, the system is profitable, but with high prices the system is not profitable, neither stand-alone nor integrated. A PtP-system with a Proton exchange membrane fuel cell is not economically viable to include in any system or scenario with current prerequisites. For it to be profitable, more volatile electricity prices than the previous years together with additional income from electricity grid balancing services are needed. Moreover, the investment cost needs to be almost completely subsidised and higher efficiencies of the components than available today are needed as well. The prerequisites needed in order for the PtP-system to be viable is not predicted to be plausible in the near future. However, with low electricity prices, a PtM-system is potentially profitable for Jönköping Energi, both integrated with the CHP and as a stand-alone system.