Optimal Sizing of Renewable Powered Green Hydrogen Refueling Stations for Hydrogen Vehicles Case Study: Guinea

Abstract

Global population growth and industrialization have led to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the transport sector. Decarbonizing transport modes using green hydrogen fuels can help address energy transition, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development. However, the high cost of producing green hydrogen is a factor limiting the development of hydrogen-based renewable initiatives. Therefore, sizing green hydrogen refuelling stations through optimization is crucial to balancing renewable energy production, hydrogen production and storage capacity, and ultimately reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. In this context, this study aims to analyse three different technical solutions that can be developed and implemented to produce green hydrogen for refuelling stations using solar and wind energy. The study focused on the sub-prefecture of Baté-Nafadji in Guinea, known for its significant photovoltaic potential, and yielded promising results. Three hybrid renewable power generation systems, namely a hybrid PV-wind and battery system, a grid-connected PV system, and a stand-alone PV and battery system are proposed and analysed. The analysis is performed using the open-source framework COMANDO for energy systems optimization. The economic analysis has shown that the three hydrogen production configurations are economically viable for the site under consideration compared to the renewable-powered hydrogen refuelling stations described in the literature. The optimized solution shows that a grid-connected PV hydrogen refuelling station with a capacity of 7.2 MW can generate 87,600 kg of green hydrogen annually, with a levelized cost of hydrogen of 2.67 $/kg and a total net present cost of 47,541,000 $. This research will benefit policy-makers, energy planners and investors concerned with Guinea's transition to sustainable transportation solutions.