Design of a Hybrid Photovoltaic-Battery-Diesel System for Green Hydrogen Production

الملخص

The Ubari region, located in southwestern Libya at 26°N, 12°E, has abundant solar radiation, with irradiances exceeding 2,200 kWh/m²/year and over 2,500 hours of sunshine per year. Currently, the power supply is dominated by diesel fuel. This paper presents an investigation into converting the Ubari power plant into a hybrid power system comprising 30 MW of monocrystalline photovoltaic power, 60 MWh of lithium-ion battery storage with 90% round-trip efficiency, and 5 MW of backup diesel power. Using HOMER Pro software, 602 scenarios were run to determine the optimal configuration, which consists of 30 MW photovoltaic power, 60 MWh battery storage, and 5 MW diesel backup power. Under normal operation, 100% renewable energy supply is achievable with a levelized cost of electricity of $0.06/kWh, which is about 1/4 of the current cost of $0.25/kWh supplied by diesel fuel alone. At 8% discount rate, over a 25-year operation, the internal rate of return is 14.5%, and the simple payback is 7 years, which indicates economic viability. The addition of a 20 MW proton exchange membrane type electrolyser will consume 4,673 MWh/year of PV power to produce 200 metric tons/year of green hydrogen, which will cost $4-5/kg, comparable to European import targets. In addition, 15,000 tons/year of CO2 emissions will be reduced, which will satisfy Libya’s Paris agreement commitment. In conclusion, this study will be technically and economically feasible locally, which will be applicable to other desert-dwelling people in North Africa and the Sahel regions.