Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/83402
Title: Techno-economic feasibility of floating offshore wind-driven hydrogen production for decarbonising maritime transport between Malta and Gozo
Authors: Moise, Tom (2021)
Keywords: Carbon dioxide mitigation -- Malta
Hydrogen as fuel
Wind power -- Malta
Ferries -- Malta
Gozo Channel (Malta)
Straits -- Malta
Issue Date: 2021
Citation: Moise, T. (2021). Techno-economic feasibility of floating offshore wind-driven hydrogen production for decarbonising maritime transport between Malta and Gozo (Master's dissertation).
Abstract: The maritime sector is a high emitting sector contributing to 2.5% of global emissions [1], [2]. With current trade increases it is expected to grow by 75% by 2035 [3]. Due to the long lifetimes of ships it is crucial to decarbonise the sector as soon as possible to be able to reach climate goals, such as the ones set by the Paris Agreement in 2015. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set a target reduction of 50% from shipping by 2050 but other more stringent regulations by the IMO in the future can be expected and the EU is going to impose more stringent measures in terms of emissions from shipping [1], [2]. Renewable energy is growing at a fast pace, and poses some integration challenges due to its intermittency. Green hydrogen produced from electrolysis is a significant contender for solving these challenges due to its renewable aspect, versatility as an energy vector and storage capabilities. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel in mobility and is especially useful for sectors that are hard to electrictrify such as heavy industry, heat, power and mobility. In the transport sector, the applications for which hydrogen is especially useful are high range requirements, high availability due to fast refuelling and high energy density requirements, especially when compared to batteries in these aspects. This makes hydrogen and its derivatives particularly valuable for decarbonising shipping [4]. Many governmental institutions recognise hydrogen as a key for solving the challenges ahead. Among other policies part of the Green Deal, the EU published its hydrogen strategy in July 2020 and sees hydrogen as the future energy vector in many sectors [5]. The main barrier for hydrogen from electrolysis both in maritime but also other sectors remains cost. In this context, a solution to decarbonise the Malta-Gozo ferry service between the islands was determined according to the most technically feasible pathway. The ship design was therefore modified to use fuel cells and pure compressed hydrogen at 350 bar produced from floating offshore wind turbines off the coast of Gozo. The results showed that the system design and supply chain would be technically feasible. The total cost of ownership of the fuel cell system excluding the fuel supply would be less than the internal combustion engine design. The project was divided into two phases 2025-2030 and 2030-2050, to mitigate for the risk of the demand falling due to the potential construction of a tunnel between Malta and Gozo. A list of suitable options for the production of hydrogen was established, including grid connection and island-mode options for the production were analysed. Estimations of costs, varying efficiencies and scheduled replacement of equipments were established in order to accommodate the lifetime of the project. The Levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of the wind farm with pre-electrolyser infrastructure was 12.48-16.75 Eurocent/kWh, an expensive solution for electrolysis. From an economic perspective the lowest potential LCOH would be 10.79 EUR/kgH2 in a low cost scenario with an electrolyser on land and a grid connection, where surplus and imports of electricity occur. However, it could be as high as 27.30 EUR/kgH2 in a high cost scenario and with all installations offshore. Over the course of the project, 580kt of CO2 emissions and 11kt of NOx emissions would be avoided from the ferry transport. Although with significant environmental benefits, the costs of the project is quite far from hydrogen production costs from fossil fuels and more expensive than marine diesel oil, which excluding transmission and distribution is about 2 EUR/kgH2. On the other hand, at the exit of the electrolyser the potential cost could be as low as 7.97 EUR/kgH2 for Option 2a. Potential improvements could include other sources of renewables or another possibility could be the importation of hydrogen from other countries.
Description: M.Sc.(Melit.) Sust.Energy
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/83402
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - InsSE - 2021

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