Analysis of the Barriers for the Hydrogen Energy Technology in Stand-Alone Power Systems

The integration of hydrogen technologies in renewable energy systems of remote areas is expected to be a challenging development in the foreseeable future, since hydrogen can be generated and stored in large quantities, can be produced on site, does not produce polluting gas or other emissions and has a high energy content (enthalpy) per unit weight. However, such development has to overcome significant barriers, such as high capital cost and limited experience and availability of equipment. Nevertheless, there is a large potential for applications and so a normal market development, with reducing costs, can be expected. This paper presents the results and recommendations of an international workshop on market potential analysis for the introduction of hydrogen energy technology in stand-alone power systems.