Hydrogen refueling station cost model applied to five real case studies for fuel cell buses

Abstract

Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS) are a key infrastructure to the successful deployment of hydrogen mobility. Their cost-effectiveness will represent an increasingly crucial issue considering the foreseen growth of vehicle fleets, from few captive fleets to large-scale penetration of hydrogen vehicles. In this context a detailed, component-oriented cost model is important to assess HRS costs for different design concepts, layout schemes and possible customizations, respect to aggregate tools which are mostly available in literature. In this work an improved version of a previously developed component-oriented, scale-sensitive HRS cost model is applied to 5 different European HRS developed within the 3Emotion project with different refueling capacities (kgH2/day), hydrogen supply schemes (in-situ production or delivery), storage volumes and pressures and operational strategies. The model output allows to assess the upfront investment cost (CAPEX), the annual operational cost (OPEX) and the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) at the dispenser and identify the most crucial cost components. The results for the five analyzed HRS sites show an LCOH at the nozzle of around 8-9 €/kg for delivery based HRSs, which are mainly dominated by the H2 retail price and transport service price and around 11-12 €/kg for on-site producing HRS, for which the electrolyzer CAPEX and electricity price plays a key role in the cost structure. The compression, storage, and dispensing sections account for between 1-3 €/kg according to the specific design & performance requirements of the HRS. The total LCOH values are comparable with literature, standard market prices for similar scale HRSs and with the 3Emotion project targets.

Techno-Economical Assessment for Combined Production of Hydrogen, Heat, and Power from Residual Lignocellulosic Agricultural Biomass in Huesca Province (Spain)

“…Caponi et al [69] reviewed several hydrogen refueling station (HRS) installations, summarizing cost and economic performances. The average ratio of CAPEX to hydrogen dispensed daily for a HRS can be set at 5300 EUR/(kg/day).…”

Detailed Cost Analysis of Hydrogen Refueling Costs for Fleets

“…Other post-2020 publications are by Caponi et al [11] and Althoff et al [12]. Caponi et al [11] show the results of a component-oriented, scale-sensitive HRS cost model, which was used to model five European HRS for bus refueling.…”

“…Other post-2020 publications are by Caponi et al [11] and Althoff et al [12]. Caponi et al [11] show the results of a component-oriented, scale-sensitive HRS cost model, which was used to model five European HRS for bus refueling. For the different HRS designs, capacities, and operation concepts, simulation results of LCoHyR from € 1 kg -1 to € 3 kg -1 are obtained, mainly considering 350-bar HRS, except for two HRS with 700-bar refueling options for passenger cars.…”