The Hydrogen Economy A strategy proposal for encouraging growth 25 April, 2016 Collin Allen, Daniel Ketyer, Alex Klonick, and Josh Lariscy Bass Connections Energy and the Environment: Design and Innovation Instructors: Dr. Emily Klein, Dr. Josiah Knight, and Chris Dougher

Bottom Line Hydrogen produced via steam reformation can and should play a more significant role in transitioning to renewable energy technologies Progression of problem throughout the year First few bullets from poster intro section

How We Got Here August - October November - January February - April Define Problem Qualitative Research Quantitative Modeling Synthesize Recommendations Progression of problem throughout the year First few bullets from poster intro section Key Meeting

What We Discovered Renewables are severely limited by intermittency Hydrogen is an attractive option for grid energy storage Transportation integration faces significant barriers SRM is most common and most cost effective production method What hydrogen is and why we are interested in it. Energy storage potential Steam Reformation – Natural gas combined cycle vs steam reformation then use in fuel cell is roughly the same cost per Base $2.00/mmbtu; Low $1.50; High $5.00 ; Very High $10.00 Photoelectric Catalysis is not feasible in the short-term. In the long-term it is feasible if improvements are made in the capital costs of materials, the processes efficiency, and the scale at which it is able to produce hydrogen

Key Questions Is hydrogen a viable alternative storage method in our energy system? What are the ideal market conditions to implement a hydrogen energy economy?

Is Hydrogen a viable alternative to the current energy system? Objective 1 Is hydrogen a viable alternative to current energy system? What is the current energy system? How is it produced? How is it used How has hydrogen been pursued within the energy system? How is hydrogen produced? Is it economically feasible to produce hydrogen? Energy system chart

Is Hydrogen a viable alternative to the current energy system? Model Analysis Analyze pathways from a macroeconomic scale Consider factors such as cost, lifetime, availability of resources Is there a feasible path with hydrogen? Objective 1 Is hydrogen a viable alternative to current energy system? What is the current energy system? How is it produced? How is it used How has hydrogen been pursued within the energy system? How is hydrogen produced? Is it economically feasible to produce hydrogen? Energy system chart

Bottlenecks Generation If producing hydrogen isn’t economically feasible, pathway won’t exist Near term: can technology be implemented Storage Hydrogen must be competitive with battery storage development Is hydrogen storage possible on a larger scale?

Non-Hydrogen Power Generation Electricity Costs Clearly Differ Renewables have fairly competitive prices However, limited by intermittency of generation and geographical location With storage, cost of solar dramatically rises Fossil fuels still present reliability Can hydrogen generation be competitive?

Natural Gas Generation is Appealing Decreasing natural gas costs Lowering feedstock costs decrease combined cycle plant LCOE Even with carbon sequestration technology, prices can remain competitive However, decreasing natural gas costs also decrease costs of hydrogen generation through SRM

SRM is Potentially Feasible Low Cost Feedstock Case Reformation can produce relatively cheap energy (kWh yield per kg of H2) On a theoretical basis, efficiencies of current PEM fuel cells could generate electricity that is nearly competitive Costs on par with carbon sequestration technology with NGCC Hydrogen represents reliable alternative With current costs of battery storage, hydrogen is an attractive alternative Strength lies in immediate generation capability, no reliability problems Hydrogen burns clean, can help spur further development of hydrogen storage and fuel cells

Final Recommendations Government  Incentivize use of hydrogen in electricity sector Utilities  Invest in hydrogen production via methane steam reformation Academia  Explore impact of new materials on cost of hydrogen production Other: Automakers should not be bullish on hydrogen - Steam reformation can be competitive with natural gas combined cycle

Further Research Compare lifecycle efficiencies Evaluate carbon pricing impacts Forecast material cost and efficiency improvements

Thank You!

The Hydrogen Economy A strategy proposal for encouraging growth 25 April, 2016 Collin Allen, Daniel Ketyer, Alex Klonick, and Josh Lariscy Bass Connections Energy and the Environment: Design and Innovation Instructors: Dr. Emily Klein, Dr. Josiah Knight, and Chris Dougher