Baseline model of a centralized pv electrolytic hydrogen system

This study performs an economic and environmental analysis of a centralized pv electrolytic hydrogen system scaled to supply H2 to one million light duty vehicles and light commercial trucks. Annual H2 production is 217-million kg. The size of the pv electrolysis plant to produce this quantity of H2 is a 5.12-GWdc-in electrolysis plant and a 6.0-GWp pv power plant. The land area of the pv electrolysis plant is 260 km2. The total capital costs of the pv electrolysis H2 system is $12.4 billion. The levelized H2 pump price estimate is $6.48/kg. The life cycle primary energy use is 36 MJ/kg of H2 consumption, and life cycle CO2 equivalent emissions are 2.6 kg/kg of H2 consumption. The replacement of conventional gasoline powered vehicles with H2 powered vehicles reduces primary energy use and CO2 emissions by 90%.