Towards Sustainable Integration: Techno-Economic Analysis and Future Perspectives of Co-Located Wind and Hydrogen Energy Systems

This article presents a comprehensive study that focuses on the techno-economic analysis of co-located wind and hydrogen energy integration within an integrated energy system (IES). The research investigates four distinct cases, each exploring various configurations of wind farms, electrolyzers, batteries, hydrogen storage tanks, and fuel cells. To obtain optimal results, the study employs a sophisticated mathematical optimization model formulated as a mixed-integer linear program. This model helps determine the most suitable component sizes and hourly energy scheduling patterns. The research utilizes historical meteorological data and wholesale market prices from diverse regions as inputs, enhancing the study's applicability and relevance across different geographical locations. Moreover, sensitivity analyses are conducted to assess the impact of hydrogen prices, regional wind profiles, and potential future fluctuations in component prices. These analyses provide valuable insights into the robustness and flexibility of the proposed IES configurations under varying market conditions and uncertainties. The findings reveal cost-effective system configurations, strategic component selections, and implications of future energy scenarios. Specifically comparing to configurations that only have wind and battery combinations, we find that incorporating an electrolyzer results in a 7% reduction in the total cost of the IES, and utilizing hydrogen as the storage medium for fuel cells leads to a 26% cost reduction. Additionally, the IES with hybrid hydrogen and battery energy storage achieves even higher and stable power output. This research facilitates decision-making, risk mitigation, and optimized investment strategies, fostering sustainable planning for a resilient and environmentally friendly energy future.