Current Status and Future Prospects of Power-To-Hydrogen Towards 100% Renewable Energy

Abstract

Transitioning to 100% renewable energy systems is an ambitious yet critical necessity to dramatically reduce emissions and slow down the planet’s persistent warming. However, renewable energy sources are not constant, and their nature can be sporadic. Therefore, it is essential to find adequate storage strategies for renewable energy sources. With renewable power-to-hydrogen, excess renewable energy can be stored in hydrogen form for use when the sources are not available. In hydrogen form, energy can be kept for longer durations and distributed to longer distances than in electricity. The use of hydrogen could be for power generation in the industry, transportation, heating or cooling buildings, and many other sectors. Furthermore, renewable power-to-hydrogen can accelerate the transition to 100% renewable-based, decarbonized energy systems, and economies and increase the grid reliability and flexibility. This study aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current status and future prospects of renewable power-to-hydrogen towards a 100% renewable energy-based future with this motivation. Global warming potential, acidification potential, the social cost of carbon, price, and thermodynamic efficiencies of the three most common renewable power-to-hydrogen methods are comparatively assessed. The strengths and weaknesses of each technique are discussed, and future research directions are provided. Besides, the future prospects of renewable power-to-hydrogen are provided in terms of its use in buildings, industry, and transportation.