Dynamic Simulation of Different Transport Options of Renewable Hydrogen to a Refinery in a Coupled Energy System Approach

Three alternative transport options for hydrogen generated from excess renewable power to a refinery of different scales are compared to the reference case by means of hydrogen production cost, overall efficiency, and CO₂ emissions. The hydrogen is transported by a) the natural gas grid and reclaimed by the existing steam reformer, b) an own pipeline and c) hydrogen trailers. The analysis is applied to the city of Hamburg, Germany, for two scenarios of installed renewable energy capacities. The annual course of excess renewable power is modelled in a coupled system approach and the replaceable hydrogen mass flow rate is determined using measurement data from an existing refinery. Dynamic simulations are performed using an open-source Modelica® library. It is found that in all three alternative hydrogen supply chains CO₂ emissions can be reduced and costs are increased compared to the reference case. Transporting hydrogen via the natural gas grid is the least efficient but achieves the highest emission reduction and is the most economical alternative for small to medium amounts of hydrogen. Using a hydrogen pipeline is the most efficient option and slightly cheaper for large amounts than employing the natural gas grid. Transporting hydrogen by trailers is not economical for single consumers and realizes the lowest CO₂ reductions.