Optimal Sizing of a Stand-alone Renewable-Powered Hydrogen Fueling Station

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a model for optimal sizing of the key components of a renewable-powered hydrogen production and fueling station. Renewable energy generated from on-site wind and solar resources are used to generate hydrogen using electrolysis. The generated hydrogen is stored in an on-site hydrogen storage tank and used to fuel a total hydrogen demand of two ton per day. The model is based on a stochastic mixed-integer linear programming formulation that solves for optimal sizing of the wind turbines, the photo-voltaic arrays, the hydrogen production capacity of the electrolyzers, and the storage capacity of the hydrogen tank. Numerical results are provided using available cost parameters in the context of Canadian market. The simulation results show that an (almost) green hydrogen fueling station powered by only wind and solar energy could produce hydrogen at under 6.8 $/kg when financing costs are considered or under 5 $/kg when financing costs are neglected. A hybrid fueling station that supplies hydrogen using a mix of on-site generated green hydrogen and imported blue hydrogen (<18 %), could produce hydrogen at under 5 $/kg considering financing cost or under 3 $/kg when such costs can be neglected.