Techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production in Ghana through PV electrolysis and biomass gasification

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Abstract
The potential to develop a green hydrogen market in Ghana is assessed in this paper. The focus is on biomass gasification and photovoltaic-driven water electrolysis. Using the H2A-Lite model, the technical, economic, and environmental aspects of these technologies are assessed for both current (2023) and future (2040) scenarios. In the current scenario, distributed and centralized Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolysis gave levelized costs of $5.56/kg and $4.35/kg for hydrogen respectively, while centralized biomass gasification yields the cheapest hydrogen cost at $2.68/kg. The high cost of solar PEM electrolysis is linked to expensive electricity and solar PV, but also to compression, storage, and dispensing costs for distributed systems. By year 2040, a general cost reduction is expected due to cheaper renewable energy and increased efficiency. However, these production methods still face competition from more economical conventional steam methane reforming (SMR) processes having a levelized cost of less than $2/kg H2. The study concludes that a hydrogen development strategy and roadmap for Ghana will be crucial to proceed with hydrogen, setting deployment targets, and engaging stakeholders in promoting the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier while creating new economic opportunities and achieving climate objectives. This paper examines the potential of producing clean hydrogen in Ghana through biomass gasification and solar-powered water splitting (electrolysis). The results show that currently biomass gasification is the cheapest method at $2.68/kg. Hydrogen from solar-powered electrolysis costs $5.56/kg for small-scale production and $4.35/kg for large-scale production. Costs are expected to decrease by 2040 due to cheaper renewable energy. The study emphasizes the need for a strategic plan in Ghana to develop hydrogen infrastructure, engage stakeholders, and create economic opportunities while meeting climate goals.

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