A solution to renewable hydrogen economy for fuel cell buses - A case study for Zhangjiakou in North China

Fuel cell vehicles fueled with renewable hydrogen is recognized as a life-cycle carbon-free option for the transport sector, however, the profitability of the H₂ pathway becomes a key issue for the FCV commercialization. By analyzing the actual data from the Zhangjiakou fuel cell transit bus project, this research reveals it is economically feasible to commercialize FCV in areas with abundant renewable resources. Low electricity for water electrolysis, localization of H₂ supply, and curtailed end price of H₂ refueling effectively reduce the hydrogen production, delivery and refueling cost, and render a chance for the profitability of refueling stations. After the fulfillment of the intense deployment of both vehicles and hydrogen stations for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the H₂ pathway starts to make a profit thereafter. The practices in the Zhangjiakou FCB project offer a solution to the hydrogen economy, which helps to break the chicken-egg dilemma of vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure.