H2OPTIMAL -- A software tool-service for cost-optimal design of green hydrogen production plants

To meet the United Nations and Paris Agreement targets of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C, transitioning to a net-zero global economy is imperative. In this context, renewable electricity and hydrogen are playing vital roles and are expected to account for nearly three-quarters of the world’s final energy consumption by 2050.

Green hydrogen, also known as renewable hydrogen, is produced through water electrolysis using renewable electricity sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind. It is a crucial component of the energy transition, offering a key solution for decarbonizing sectors that are not feasible to electrify. The dynamic operation of electrolyzer plants is constrained by various factors including temperature, pressure, impurities, stray currents, stack design, startup and shutdown processes, and the electrolyzer technology. These challenges, combined with the intermittency of renewable energy sources, variable hydrogen demand, and fluctuating electricity prices, make controlling and dimensioning each plant component a non-trivial task. 

The optimal capacity installed of each of the components of the plant, and electrolyzer control are strongly correlated. Therefore, to achieve the lowest hydrogen production costs and a cost-optimal plant design, both control and dimensioning must be considered simultaneously.

Goals

• Develop proof-of-concept of a software tool for the multi-optimization, control and dimensioning of green hydrogen production systems.   
  • Analyze the technical feasibility for the commercialization of the software.
  • Study the modularity, flexibility and scalability to implement software functionalities for any customer needs.  
  • Validate and demonstrate capabilities of the software.
• Study the future commercialization paths of the software tool (proof-of-relevance).  
  • Analyze different business models.
  • Contact potential customers and business partners.
  • Identify new customer requirements and needs to implement into the software.

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