Baseline model of a centralized pv electrolytic hydrogen system

Abstract This study performs an economic and environmental analysis of a centralized pv electrolytic hydrogen system scaled to supply H 2 to one million light duty vehicles and light commercial trucks. Annual H 2 production is 217-million kg. The size of the pv electrolysis plant to produce this quantity of H 2 is a 5.12-GW dc-in electrolysis plant and a 6.0-GW p pv power plant. The land area of the pv electrolysis plant is 260 km 2 . The total capital costs of the pv electrolysis H 2 system is $12.4 billion. The levelized H 2 pump price estimate is $6.48/kg. The life cycle primary energy use is 36 MJ/kg of H 2 consumption, and life cycle CO 2 equivalent emissions are 2.6 kg/kg of H 2 consumption. The replacement of conventional gasoline powered vehicles with H 2 powered vehicles reduces primary energy use and CO 2 emissions by 90%.

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