An evaluation of the potential of the use of wasted hydroelectric capacity to produce hydrogen to be used in fuel cells in order to decrease CO2 emissions in Brazil

The use of water wasted in hydroelectric plants as normalization dam excess, which constitute a hydrodynamic potential useful to generate electric energy which can be subsequently used to produce hydrogen and its subsequent consumption in fuel cells, has been considered as an alternative for hydraulic energy-rich countries like Brazil. The case is examined in which all the water wasted in the hydroelectric plants, spilled by dam gates to maintain acceptable water levels, from the 101 largest Brazilian hydroelectric plants was used to produce hydrogen. During the year of 2008, the electric energy produced from this utilisation would have been equivalent to 106.2 TWh, an amount that corresponds to an increase of ca. 30% of the total electric energy produced in the country. Furthermore, if this amount of hydrogen was used in the replacement of internal combustion vehicles by fuel cells, this would have prevented the production of 2,000,000 tons of CO2 emissions per day. The economic balance (cost of electricity produced using the wasted water minus cost of gasoline consumed) indicates a savings of ca. 200 million US$. This plan would also significantly decrease production and release of greenhouse gases.