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DOE OSTI · 2203367

Hydrogen Production Cost with Alkaline Electrolysis

Acevedo, Yaset M.·Prosser, Jacob H.·Huya-Kouadio, Jennie M.·McNamara, Kevin R.·James, Brian D.
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Abstract

Rigorous stakeholder-vetted techno-economic analysis was performed to assess the cost of hydrogen (H 2 ) produced using state-of-the-art Liquid Alkaline (LA) electrolysis. Projected high-volume, untaxed levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) range from 2020US $\$ 1.84$ to $\$ 2.88$/kg-H 2 depending on technology year, process design, and electrolyzer project scale, assuming an electricity price of $\$ 0.03$/kWh. The total installed capital cost for a LA electrolysis plant was estimated from bottom-up stack and installed cost models that account for purchased equipment, installation costs, site preparation, and general overhead costs. For this study, the LA electrolysis plant is assumed to be a stick-built, greenfield project developed by an EPC firm with electrolysis stacks purchased directly from an electrolysis stack manufacturer. The price of the electrolysis stacks is based on a bottom-up cost assessment with business markup for the electrolysis company fabricator. Methods from the Hydrogen Analysis (H 2 A) production model, a peer-reviewed national laboratory-developed discounted cash flow model, were used to calculate the LCOH production in 2020$/kg-H 2 . The baseline electricity price case ($\$ 0.03$/kWh) corresponds to average wholesale electricity prices currently possible in U.S. markets with plentiful wind. Similar low-cost electricity pricing is possible from solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) although these prices are typically limited by renewable energy capacity factors.

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08 HYDROGENalkaline electrolysisbottom-up estimatecost estimationeconomicshydrogen costhydrogen productionlevelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH)technoeconomic analysis (TEA)

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Acevedo, Yaset M., Prosser, Jacob H., Huya-Kouadio, Jennie M., McNamara, Kevin R., James, Brian D.. 2023-10-25. Hydrogen Production Cost with Alkaline Electrolysis. https://doi.org/10.2172/2203367

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