Role of Technology Flexibility and Grid Coupling on Hydrogen Deployment in Net-Zero Energy Systems

Area of Science:

• Energy Systems Analysis
• Decarbonization Strategies
• Hydrogen Economy

Background:

• Low-carbon hydrogen is crucial for economy-wide decarbonization.
• Understanding hydrogen production competition and electricity sector interplay is vital for net-zero systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To model competition among low-carbon hydrogen production methods.
• To analyze the interplay between electricity and hydrogen sectors in a net-zero system.
• To assess the impact of hydrogen storage and electrolyzer grid connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Multisector energy system modeling of the contiguous United States.
• Simulation of various low-carbon hydrogen production pathways (electrolytic, blue).
• Analysis of grid-connected vs. islanded electrolyzers and hydrogen storage.

Main Results:

• Unconstrained hydrogen storage and grid-connected electrolyzers lead to dominant electrolytic hydrogen production and provide electricity demand-side flexibility.
• This configuration reduces the need for battery storage for variable renewable energy (VRE) integration.
• Islanded electrolyzers or lack of storage favors natural gas-based ('blue') hydrogen, reducing power system flexibility and electrolytic hydrogen share.
• Hydrogen deployment has minimal impact on energy transmission but may increase CO2 transmission for blue hydrogen.

Conclusions:

• Grid-connected electrolyzers with adequate storage are key for maximizing electrolytic hydrogen and supporting electricity grid stability.
• System design choices significantly influence the feasibility and scale of different low-carbon hydrogen production methods.
• Policy and infrastructure development should consider the integrated operation of electricity and hydrogen sectors for effective decarbonization.