The Role of Hydrogen in Future Renewable Power Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a clean energy carrier, offering substantial potential to enhance sustainability across various critical domains. It holds the capacity to i) be produced with null carbon emissions, ii) serve as a storage solution for excess energy generated from renewable sources, iii) power transportation vehicles, iv) act as a vital feedstock in diverse industrial processes, and v) contribute to grid balancing by providing supplementary capacity during peak demand periods. Although the current degree of incorporation of hydrogen into electrical energy systems remains limited, it is expected that hydrogen will play a pivotal role in future energy systems, driving decarbonization and promoting sustainability. For instance, the European Commission has decided to encourage the installation of at least 6 GW of electrolyzers in the European Union between 2020 and 2024, with a further 40 GW from 2025 to 2030. Therefore, it is expected that the planned incorporation of this large number of electrolyzers will have a significant impact on the operation of electrical energy systems. Additionally, there will be a sufficient supply of hydrogen to be used for electricity production in hydrogen turbines and fuel cells. Considering that existing works in technical literature addressing the presence of hydrogen in electrical energy systems are still scarce, and as there are many issues that need to be addressed, this Special Issue aims to develop a set of decision-making models to enable the planning and operation of electrical energy systems with a significant presence of hydrogen power plants and electrolyzers. Examples of submission topics include, but are not limited to:

• Power system planning with a focus on hydrogen production;
• Optimal sizing and siting of hydrogen production facilities;
• Operation of power systems considering hydrogen production;
• Synergies between power and gas systems;
• Optimal design of a hydrogen transportation network;
• Economics of low-emission hydrogen production techniques;
• Novel market designs for hydrogen;
• Retrofitting existing natural gas units for hydrogen-fired turbines;
• Long-term electricity storage using hydrogen;
• Sizing renewable units for hydrogen production;
• Hybridization of existing units for hydrogen production.

Dr. Miguel Carrión
Dr. Rafael Zárate-Miñano
Guest Editors

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• hydrogen
• power system
• operation of power systems
• planning
• electricity markets
• decision making