Integration of Wind Energy, Hydrogen and Natural Gas Pipeline Systems to Meet Community and Transportation Energy Needs: A Parametric Study

This paper examines the options and benefits of hydrogen utilization in various segments of the wind energy market. A parametric analysis is done to determine the feasibility and optimal size of wind farms and an electrolysis system producing hydrogen to be distributed via several means including the natural gas pipeline grid. This paper examines the wind farms available in Southern Ontario, Canada. Infrastructure requirements, wind farm size, pipeline capacity, geographical dispersion, cost and hydrogen production rate are used as performance measures throughout the study. The results indicate the feasibility and economic factors of the size of wind farms, electrolysis systems and production rates of hydrogen that can utilized for a community vehicle fleet fuelling, industrial demand, natural gas augmentation and stored energy applications. “Straw man” systems are examined, centered on a wind farm size of 100 MW integrating a 16 MW capacity electrolysis system producing 4,700 kg of hydrogen per day.