Feasibility Study on the Use of Electrolyzers for Short term Energy Storage

Abstract

Electricity grid flexibility is vital for renewable energy to be used effectively. Power-to-gas technologies are investigated to connect electricity grid to gas grid and to tackle capacity challenges. Grid management expenses consist of redispatch and feed-in management. These management procedures, next to being costly, cause a significant energy loss. Proton-exchange membrane electrolyzer installations were studied to reduce these expenses and recover energy. The change in the levelized cost of hydrogen production with varying electrolyzer capacities was presented. The sensitivity of the levelized cost and net present value with respect to installation costs, maintenance costs, and electricity prices were investigated. While the electricity prices have the most significant effect on the levelized cost of hydrogen production, the net present value was affected considerably by the hydrogen selling price. Possible energy savings were calculated between 2 – 23 GWh for 2, 5, 10, 20 MW installations. The annual grid management expense savings were in the range of 0.2 – 2.3 million Euros, increasing with the increasing electrolyzer capacity.