Power-to-Hydrogen in the German industry sector. Potential and impact on the energy system

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. Decarbonization of non-energetic fossil fuel use

1.2. Importance of hydrogen in the industry sector

1.3. Power-to-X to advance decarbonization

1.4. Goal and approach

1.5. urbs optimization model

1.5.1. General

1.5.2. Model

1.5.2.1. Input

1.5.2.2. Output

1.5.3. German electricity model

2. Literary research

2.1. Hydrogen production technologies

2.1.1. Overview

2.1.2. Conventional hydrogen production

2.1.2.1. Steam reforming

2.1.2.2. Partial Oxidation

2.1.2.3. Autothermal reforming

2.1.2.4. Coal gasification

2.1.3. Electricity-based hydrogen production

2.1.3.1. Electrolysis

2.1.3.2. Low temperature electrolysis

2.1.3.3. High temperature electrolysis

2.2. Hydrogen storage

2.2.1. Storage technologies

2.2.2. Typical characteristics of salt cavern hydrogen storage

2.2.3. Potential for underground hydrogen storage in Germany

3. First results

3.1. Hydrogen demand in German industry sector

3.1.1. Method

3.1.2. Major hydrogen consumers in the industry

3.1.2.1. Chemical industry

3.1.2.2. Refineries

3.1.2.3. Steel industry

3.1.2.4. Glass industry

3.1.2.5. Overview of hydrogen consumer sites

3.1.3. Results on federal state level for 2016

3.1.4. General trends

3.1.5. Results on federal state level for 2030

3.1.6. Results on federal state level for 2050

3.2. Hydrogen production in Germany

3.2.1. Hydrogen as a by-product

3.2.2. Hydrogen production sites in Germany

3.3. Impact of Power-to-Hydrogen

3.3.1. Potential for decarbonization

3.3.2. Impact on CO2 emissions

3.3.2.1. Reforming of natural gas and naphtha

3.3.2.2. Partial oxidation of heavy oils

3.3.2.3. Savings in 2016

3.3.2.4. Savings in 2030 and 2050

3.3.3. Impact on fossil fuel use

3.3.4. Impact on energy use

4. Implementation in urbs

4.1. Input data

4.2. Scenarios

4.2.1. Results for 2016

4.2.2. Results for 2030

4.2.3. Results for 2050

4.3. Discussion of results and comparison with prior finding

5. Conclusion and outlook

Research Goal and Focus

The primary objective of this thesis is to assess the potential of power-based hydrogen production (Power-to-Hydrogen) within the German industrial sector and to analyze its impact on the energy system and provided flexibilities for the years 2016, 2030, and 2050.

• Determination of current and future hydrogen demand in the German industry.
• Evaluation of hydrogen production and storage technologies, focusing on electrolysis and salt caverns.
• Integration of hydrogen demand and production scenarios into the "urbs" energy system model.
• Assessment of the environmental and economic impact of switching to power-based hydrogen production.
• Comparison of conventional fossil-based versus renewable-based hydrogen production pathways.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Presents the motivation for decarbonizing non-energetic fossil fuel use in the industry and introduces the Power-to-X concept and the urbs optimization model.

2. Literary research: Provides a comprehensive overview of hydrogen production technologies, including conventional thermal processes and electricity-based electrolysis, as well as hydrogen storage options.

3. First results: Details the calculation of hourly hydrogen demand across German federal states and investigates the impact of Power-to-Hydrogen on CO2 emissions and fossil fuel usage.

4. Implementation in urbs: Describes the integration of hydrogen demand, production processes, and storage into the urbs energy model to simulate various development scenarios for 2016, 2030, and 2050.

5. Conclusion and outlook: Synthesizes the findings, highlighting the increasing viability of Power-to-Hydrogen with higher renewable penetration and suggesting future research into syngas and site-specific electrolysis.

Keywords

Power-to-Hydrogen, Power-to-X, German Industry, Decarbonization, Electrolysis, Steam Reforming, Salt Caverns, Energy System Modeling, urbs Model, CO2 Emissions, Sector Coupling, Hydrogen Storage, Renewable Energy, Industrial Hydrogen Demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this master's thesis?

The thesis focuses on determining the potential for power-based hydrogen production (Power-to-Hydrogen) to decarbonize the non-energetic consumption of fossil fuels within the German industry sector.

Which sectors are primarily analyzed as hydrogen consumers?

The main hydrogen-consuming sectors identified are the chemical industry (ammonia and methanol production), oil refineries, the steel industry, and the float glass production industry.

What is the primary goal regarding the energy system impact?

The goal is to determine if and under what conditions renewable Power-to-Hydrogen can replace conventional fossil-based production, and what the associated impacts on energy demand, CO2 emissions, and system flexibilities are.

Which modeling tool is used for the analysis?

The research utilizes the "urbs" model, a linear programming optimization tool designed for capacity expansion and unit commitment of distributed energy systems.

How is the hydrogen demand calculated?

Hydrogen demand is determined by locating major consumer sites on a federal state level and calculating specific demands based on chemical reactions, stoichiometric equivalents, and industrial production forecasts.

What are the key findings regarding the competitiveness of Power-to-Hydrogen?

The research concludes that Power-to-Hydrogen becomes increasingly competitive as renewable energy shares in the electricity grid grow, leading to convergence between mixed-method and fully electricity-based scenarios after 2030.

Why is hydrogen storage in salt caverns highlighted in this study?

Salt caverns are identified as the most cost-effective and efficient solution for large-scale, long-term hydrogen storage, providing the necessary flexibility to integrate intermittent renewable energy sources.

What role does the "CO2 price" play in the optimization scenarios?

Higher CO2 prices increase the economic weight placed on environmental costs, effectively favoring cleaner hydrogen production pathways in the model's optimization results.

How does the thesis address the limitations of current hydrogen production?

The thesis notes that currently, most hydrogen is produced via captive processes using fossil fuels; it analyzes how transitioning to electrolysis can mitigate these emissions, provided the electricity mix is sufficiently renewable.