A techno-economic analysis of renewable hybrid energy systems for hydrogen production at refueling stations

A hydrogen fueling station is a facility designed to support the widespread use of hydrogen energy for the automotive industry. Substituting the use of fossil fuel in the road transport sector with hydrogen fuel generated from renewable sources can lead to environmental advantages. This study investigated a comprehensive analysis of three hybrid energy systems e.g., Photovoltaic -wind turbine-fuel cell-battery, Photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery, and Wind turbine-fuel cell-battery for hydrogen production and refueling station in the city of Muscat using Hybrid Optimization Model for Electrical Renewable (HOMER) software that assesses the viability of energy system to meet the required energy needs. The evaluation of the hybrid energy arrangements relies on the assessment of the renewable energy capacity at the location, the expenses, and optimization associated with different components, and the hydrogen demand. The results of the techno-economic analysis showed that the photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery energy system has the lowest net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy, and levelized cost of hydrogen of $ 529,361, $/kWh 0.0158, and $/kg 0.401 respectively, adjudging the system to be the most viable system for the refueling station in Muscat. The optimized result showed that the P-WT-B energy system comprised of 1000 kW of PV panel, 660 kW wind turbine, a 500 kW electrolyzer, a 100 1 kW h battery, a 1000 kg/L hydrogen tank, and a 492-kW converter that offered the lowest cost of energy, hydrogen, and net present cost compared to other energy systems. Furthermore, the return on investment and annual worth analysis positioned the Photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery energy system to be the best bet and optimal choice for the Muscat refueling station project.