Techno-economic Analysis of Wind Curtailment/Hydrogen Production/Fuel Cell Vehicle System with High Wind Penetration in China

Wind curtailment/hydrogen production/fuel cell vehicle system (WCHPFCVS) is the use of curtailment to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen, which then provides energy for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In this paper, a techno-economic analysis of WCHPFCVS is proposed using the HOMER software. Large-scale wind power penetration is expected to lead to serious wind curtailment, and therefore, the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will play an important role in future renewable energy storage, energy internet sharing, and electric transport areas. A system model of wind curtailment/hydrogen production/fuel cell vehicle is presented and analyzed using HOMER software to optimize the capacity and cost of the system. An annual revenue and profit of the system is then calculated and analyzed for energy conservation, emissions reduction, and environmental benefits. A techno-economical evaluation of the system when cost of producing hydrogen and hydrogen load (fuel cell vehicle quantities) changes is also presented, taking into consideration the future progress of the technology and its market development. Techno-economic analysis of WCHPFCVS is shown as an effective method through a case study using actual data of curtailment from a wind farm in Jilin province in northeast China.