Renewable energy for hydrogen production and sustainable urban mobility

In recent years, the number of power plants based on renewable energy (RWE) has been increasing and hydrogen as an energy carrier has become a suitable medium-to-long term storage solution as well as a "fuel" for FCEV's because of its CO(2)-free potential. In this context, the aim of the present study is to carry out both an economic and environmental analysis of a start-up RWE plant using a simulation code developed in previous work [1] and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The plant will be located in the South of Italy (Puglia) and will consist of different RWE sources (Wind Power, Photovoltaic, Biomass). RWE will be used to produce hydrogen from an electrolyzer, which will feed a fleet of buses using different fuels (methane, hydrogen, or a mixture of these). In particular, a wind turbine of 850 kW will feed a hydrogen production plant and a biomass plant will produce methane. Preliminary studies have shown that it is possible to obtain hydrogen at a competitive cost (DOE target) and that components (wind turbine, electrolyzer, vessel, etc.) influence the final price. In addition, LCA results have permitted a comparison of different minibuses using either fossil fuels or renewable energy sources. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.