Glenk Gunther, Reichelstein Stefan
Mannheim Institute for Sustainable Energy Studies, University of Mannheim, MIT CEEPR, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Mannheim Institute for Sustainable Energy Studies, University of Mannheim, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim, Germany.
Nat Commun. 2022 Apr 19;13(1):2010. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29520-0.
In the transition to decarbonized energy systems, Power-to-Gas (PtG) processes have the potential to connect the existing markets for electricity and hydrogen. Specifically, reversible PtG systems can convert electricity to hydrogen at times of ample power supply, yet they can also operate in the reverse direction to deliver electricity during times when power is relatively scarce. Here we develop a model for determining when reversible PtG systems are economically viable. We apply the model to the current market environment in both Germany and Texas and find that the reversibility feature of unitized regenerative fuel cells (solid oxide) makes them already cost-competitive at current hydrogen prices, provided the fluctuations in electricity prices are as pronounced as currently observed in Texas. We further project that, due to their inherent flexibility, reversible PtG systems would remain economically viable at substantially lower hydrogen prices in the future, provided recent technological trends continue over the coming decade.
在向脱碳能源系统过渡的过程中，电力-天然气（PtG）工艺有潜力连接现有的电力和氢气市场。具体而言，可逆式PtG系统能够在电力供应充足时将电力转化为氢气，同时也能在电力相对稀缺时反向运行以输送电力。在此，我们开发了一个模型来确定可逆式PtG系统何时在经济上可行。我们将该模型应用于德国和得克萨斯州的当前市场环境，发现如果电价波动如得克萨斯州目前所观察到的那样显著，那么一体化再生燃料电池（固体氧化物）的可逆性特征使其在当前氢气价格下已经具有成本竞争力。我们进一步预测，由于其固有的灵活性，如果近期的技术趋势在未来十年持续下去，可逆式PtG系统在未来氢气价格大幅降低的情况下仍将在经济上可行。
