Canada

This paper presents an innovative Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power (FC–CHP) system designed to enhance energy efficiency in hospital settings. The system primarily utilizes solar energy captured through photovoltaic (PV) panels for electricity generation. Excess electricity is directed to an electrolyzer for water electrolysis producing hydrogen which is stored in high-pressure tanks. This hydrogen serves a dual purpose: it fuels a boiler for heating and hot water needs and powers a fuel cell for additional electricity when solar production is low. The system also features an intelligent energy management system that dynamically allocates electrical energy between immediate consumption hydrogen production and storage while also managing hydrogen release for energy production. This study focuses on optimization using genetic algorithms to optimize key components including the peak power of photovoltaic panels the nominal power of the electrolyzer fuel cell and storage tank sizes. The objective function minimizes the sum of investment and electricity costs from the grid considering a penalty coefficient. This approach ensures optimal use of renewable energy sources contributing to energy efficiency and sustainability in healthcare facilities.

The present work aims to develop a novel integrated energy system to produce clean hydrogen power and biochar. The Palmaria palmata a type of seaweed and hydrogen sulfide from the industrial gaseous waste streams are taken as potential feedstock. A combined thermochemical approach is employed for the processing of both feedstocks. For clean hydrogen production the zinc sulfide thermochemical cycle is employed. Both stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric equilibrium-based models of the proposed plant design are developed in the Aspen Plus software and a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of the system is also performed by evaluating energy and exergy efficiencies. The study further explores the modeling simulation and parametric analyses of various subsections to enhance the hydrogen and biochar production rate. The parametric analyses show that the first step of the thermochemical cycle (sulfurization reaction) follows stoichiometric pathway and the ZnO to H2S ratio of 1 represents the optimal point for reactant conversion. On the other hand the second step of the thermochemical cycle (regeneration reaction) does not follow a stoichiometric pathway and ZnS conversion of 12.87% is achieved at a high temperature of 1400oC. It is found that a hydrogen production rate of 0.71 mol/s is achieved with the introduction of 0.27 mol/s of H2S. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the zinc sulfide thermochemical cycle are found to be 65.23% and 35.58% respectively. A biochar production rate of 0.024 kg/s is obtained with the Palmaria palmata fed rate of 0.097 kg/s. The Palmaria to biochar energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 55.43% and 45.91% respectively. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies of the proposed plant are determined to be 72.88% and 50.03% respectively.

Hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal are considered two of the critical pieces to achieve ultimate sustainability target. This study proposes and investigates a new variation of potassium hydroxide thermochemical cycle in order to combine hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal synergistically. An alkali metal redox thermochemical cycle developed where the potassium hydroxide is considered by using a nonequilibrium reaction. Also the multigeneration options are explored by using two stage steam Rankine cycle multi-effect distillation desalination Li-Br absorption chiller which are integrated with potassium hydroxide thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production carbon capture power generation water desalination and cooling purposes. A comparative assessment under different scenarios is carried out. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the hydrogen production thermochemical cycle are 44.2% and 67.66% when the hydrogen generation reaction is carried out at 180°C and the separation reactor temperature set at 400°C. Among the multigeneration scenarios a trigeneration option of hydrogen power and water indicates the highest energy efficiency as 66.02%.

This review critically examines hydrogen energy systems highlighting their capacity to transform the global energy framework and mitigate climate change. Hydrogen showcases a high energy density of 120 MJ/kg providing a robust alternative to fossil fuels. Adoption at scale could decrease global CO2 emissions by up to 830 million tonnes annually. Despite its potential the expansion of hydrogen technology is curtailed by the inefficiency of current electrolysis methods and high production costs. Presently electrolysis efficiencies range between 60 % and 80 % with hydrogen production costs around $5 per kilogram. Strategic advancements are necessary to reduce these costs below $2 per kilogram and push efficiencies above 80 %. Additionally hydrogen storage poses its own challenges requiring conditions of up to 700 bar or temperatures below −253 °C. These storage conditions necessitate the development of advanced materials and infrastructure improvements. The findings of this study emphasize the need for comprehensive strategic planning and interdisciplinary efforts to maximize hydrogen's role as a sustainable energy source. Enhancing the economic viability and market integration of hydrogen will depend critically on overcoming these technological and infrastructural challenges supported by robust regulatory frameworks. This comprehensive approach will ensure that hydrogen energy can significantly contribute to a sustainable and low-carbon future.

The current study comprehensively examines the application of wave tidal and undersea current energy sources of Turkiye for green hydrogen fuel production and cost analysis. The estimated potential capacity of each city is derived from official data and acceptable assumptions and is subject to discussion and evaluation in the context of a viable hydrogen economy. According to the findings the potential for green hydrogen generation in Turkiye is projected to be 7.33 million tons using a proton exchange membrane electrolyser (PEMEL). Cities with the highest hydrogen production capacities from marine applications are Mugla Izmir Antalya and Canakkale with 998.10 kt 840.31 kt 605.46 kt and 550.42 kt respectively. The study calculations obviously show that there is a great potential by using excess power in producing hydrogen which will result in an economic value of 3.01 billion US dollars. This study further helps develop a detailed hydrogen map for every city in Turkiye using the identified potential capacities of renewable energy sources and the utilization of electrolysers to make green hydrogen by green power. The potentials and specific capacities for every city are also highlighted. Furthermore the study results are expected to provide clear guidance for government authorities and industries to utilize such a potential of renewable energy for investment and promote clean energy projects by further addressing concerns caused by the usage of carbon-based (fossil fuels dependent) energy options. Moreover green hydrogen production and utilization in every sector will help achieve the national targets for a net zero economy and cope with international targets to achieve the United Nation's sustainable development goals.

The synergy between hydrogen and water is crucial in moving towards a sustainable energy future. This study explores the integration of geothermal energy with desalination and hydrogen production systems to address water and clean energy demands. Two configurations one using multi-effect distillation (MED) and the other reverse osmosis (RO) were designed and compared. Both configurations utilized geothermal energy with MED directly using geothermal heat and RO converting geothermal energy into electricity to power desalination. The systems are evaluated based on various performance indicators including net power output desalinated water production hydrogen production exergy efficiency and levelized costs. Multi-objective optimization using an artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) was conducted to identify optimal operational conditions. Results highlighted that the RO-based system demonstrated higher water production efficiency achieving a broader range of optimal solutions and lower levelized costs of water (LCOW) and hydrogen production while the MED-based system offered economic advantages under specific conditions. A case study focused on Canada illustrated the potential benefits of these systems in supporting hydrogen-powered vehicles and residential water needs emphasizing the significant impact of using high-quality desalinated water to enhance the longevity and efficiency of proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (PEME). This research provides valuable insights into the optimal use of geothermal energy for sustainable water and hydrogen production.

The present study comprehensively examines the application of hydro wave tidal undersea current and geothermal energy sources of Canada for green hydrogen fuel production. The estimated potential capacity of each province is derived from official data and acceptable assumptions and is subject to discussion and evaluation in the context of a viable hydrogen economy. According to the findings the potential for green hydrogen generation in Canada is projected to be 48.86 megatons. The economic value of the produced green hydrogen results in an equivalent of 21.30 billion US$. The top three provinces with the highest green hydrogen production potential using hydro resources including hydro wave tidal undersea current and geothermal are Alberta Quebec and British Columbia with 26.13 Mt 7.34 Mt and 4.39 Mt respectively. Quebec is ranked first by only considering the marine sources including 4.14 Mt with hydro 1.46 Mt with wave 0.27 Mt underwater current and 1.45 Mt with tidal respectively. Alberta is listed as the province with the highest capacity for hydrogen production from geothermal energy amounting up to 26.09 Mt. The primary objective is to provide comprehensive hydrogen maps for each province in Canada which will be based on the identified renewable energy potential and the utilization of electrolysers. This may further be examined within the framework of the prevailing policies implemented by local communities and officials in order to develop a sustainable energy plan for the nation.

Green hydrogen production and storage are vital in mitigating carbon emissions and sustainable transition. However the high investment cost and management requirements are the bottleneck of utilizing hybrid hydrogen-based systems in microgrids. Given the necessity of cost-effective and optimal design of these systems the present study examines techno-economic feasibility of integrating hybrid hydrogen-based systems into an outdoor test facility. With this perspective several solar-driven hybrid scenarios are introduced at two energy storage levels namely the battery and hydrogen energy storage systems including the high-pressure gaseous hydrogen and metal hydride storage tanks. Dynamic simulations are carried out to address subtle interactions in components of the hybrid system by establishing a TRNSYS model coupled to a Fortran code simulating the metal hydride storage system. The OpenStudio-EnergyPlus plugin is used to simulate the building load validate against experimental data according to the measured data and monitored operating conditions. Aimed at enabling efficient integration of energy storage systems a techno-enviro-economic optimization algorithm is developed to simultaneously minimize the levelized cost of the electricity and maximize the CO2 mitigation in each proposed hybrid scenario. The results indicate that integrating the gaseous hydrogen and metal hydride storages into the photovoltaic-alone scenario enhances 22.6% and 14.4% of the annual renewable factor. Accordingly the inclusion of battery system to these hybrid scenarios gives a 30.4% and 20.3 % boost to the renewable factor value respectively. Although the inclusion of battery energy storage into the hybrid systems increases the renewable factor the results imply that it reduces the hydrogen production rate via electrolysis. The optimized values of the levelized cost of electricity and CO2 emission for different scenarios vary in the range of 0.376–0.789 $/kWh and 6.57–9.75 ton respectively. The multi-criteria optimizations improve the levelized cost of electricity and CO2 emission by up to 46.2% and 11.3% with respect to their preliminary design.