Now that solar and wind are supercheap in some places, cheap electrolysis is the most important next step in green H2 production.
1 kW of electrolyzer produces ~200 kg of H2 per year when run at full load. If they last ten years and cost 200 euro that's 10 cents per kg of H2.
1 kW of electrolyzer produces ~200 kg of H2 per year when run at full load. If they last ten years and cost 200 euro that's 10 cents per kg of H2.
https://twitter.com/mzjacobson/status/1448353767779274753
Not sure this 200 euro/kW will be reached as mentioned and that they will last 10 years but electrolysis is clearly getting pretty cheap in the future (as expected).
(10 cents/kg of H2 = 0.3 cents per kWh)
(10 cents/kg of H2 = 0.3 cents per kWh)
Imagine a super sunny place with cheap land produce solar at 1 cent per kWh. For 1 kg of H2 you would need around 50 kWh costing 50 cents.
If electrolysis costs only 10 cents extra that together would only be 60 cents.
There's lot's of other costs but that's just ~2 cents/kWh.
If electrolysis costs only 10 cents extra that together would only be 60 cents.
There's lot's of other costs but that's just ~2 cents/kWh.
If we ever reach 2 euro per kg of H2 at the end customer, it would cost only 6 cents per kWh and outcompete gasoline and LNG in terms of cost per unit of energy before tax at the pump.
And that's before we start taxing the CO2 in gasoline, diesel and LNG.
And that's before we start taxing the CO2 in gasoline, diesel and LNG.
It could even become an interesting competitor to battery electric vehicles. If you include the losses of the fuel cell you are left with 10 cents per kWh before taxes.
That's more than the production and transport cost of electricity but not by much. Interesting times!
That's more than the production and transport cost of electricity but not by much. Interesting times!
Just to be clear: I still think it's a colossal waste to throw away 2/3rd of the energy by using H2 instead of batteries unless there is ample renewable energy.
And cars is one of the least useful applications of H2.
Just marvelling at the price decrease of electrolyzers.
And cars is one of the least useful applications of H2.
Just marvelling at the price decrease of electrolyzers.
I have to further qualify my enthusiasm. After doing some calculations I think the costs of batteries to equalize the day-night cycle would exceed the cost of electrolyzers. Installing the entire system including capital costs could double its cost. And storage is expensive...
What we might be seeing here is that electrolyzers simply aren't going to remain the as big a of a cost problem as I and many others thought. But now the cost emphasis shifts to other parts of the system.
It's still very good news for fully renewable energy systems though!
It's still very good news for fully renewable energy systems though!
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