In Mexico, researchers examined the integration of hydrogen-based power-to-gas-to-power into an existing rural microgrid.
They stated that this method may become competitive if the costs of the electrolyzer, fuel cell, and hydrogen tank are halved, or if diesel prices continue to rise.
The National Institute of Electricity and Clean Energy in Mexico undertook a techno-economic feasibility study to determine the viability of integrating hydrogen-based power-to-gas-to-power (P2G2P) in a rural microgrid servicing the Puertecitos community in the Mexican state of Baja California.
Hydrogen would be used to store surplus renewable energy during the winter, with the hydrogen facility consisting of an electrolyzer, a hydrogen tank, and a fuel cell system.
The suggested system configuration, which was modeled using Homer Pro software, utilizes the electricity supplied by the microgrid’s photovoltaic and wind energy installations to meet the microgrid’s load demand and hydrogen creation via the electrolyzer. The microgrid is made up of a 54.4 kilowatt photovoltaic system, a 60 kilowatt diesel generator, a 5 kilowatt wind turbine, and a 522 kilowatt hour storage system.
The economic analysis was conducted by determining the microgrid’s levelized cost of energy (LCOE) prior to and following the addition of the hydrogen facility.
Different scenarios were evaluated in the modeling, based on two primary reference scenarios: a system with a fuel cell capacity of 3kW to 12kW, an electrolyzer capacity of 6kW to 22kW, and a tank with a capacity of 2 kg to 8 kg. Additionally, they investigated a system with a fuel capacity of 5 to 18 kW, an electrolyzer with a capacity of 10 to 38 kW, and a hydrogen tank with a capacity of 10 to 40 kg.
The scholars determined that the most cost-effective scenario is one that includes a 6kW fuel cell, a 6kW electrolyzer, and a 2kg hydrogen tank. They assumed a capital expenditure of $1,250 per kW for the fuel cell, $1,250 per kW for the electrolyzer, and $500 per kilogram for the tank.
