Optimal design of a hydrogen system of grid-connected flexible industrial microgrids

Equipment redesign is needed to decarbonise energy-intensive industries, such as the glass and aluminium industries. In this context, hydrogen is proposed as fuel instead of natural gas for high-temperature heat supply. This paper presents an optimisation- based methodology to size different microgrid elements including electrolyser, compressor, hydrogen tank, and burner, alongside photovoltaic (PV) power and battery energy storage. Therefore, it aims to minimise the total costs of the system based on its operation, considering active and flexible management of generation, and costs for CO₂emissions. Moreover, the penetration of renewables, hydrogen fraction and CO₂emissions can be delimited. This methodology is used to analyse the role of hydrogen introduction in an industrial case study.