Abstract:
This paper assesses the performance of electricity generation using wind/hydrogen/fuel-cell technology. The intermittency of renewables, especially wind, and the need for storage of excess energy make them unattractive for continuous generation of electricity. This paper focuses on the wind resource of Anloga (Ghana) and the potential of hydrogen production from water electrolysis. The assessment of this system covers three main areas including the potential energy generation, environmental impacts, and economic impacts. The paper adopted analytical models of energy generation of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies and further performs their assessment using HOMER software. It was revealed that the annual electricity production from the hydrogen fuel cell is 25,999kW/yr, with an annual capacity shortage of 392kW/yr representing a 10% capacity shortage. The levelized cost of electricity was 0.602$/kWh and the emissions have been completely minimized as compared to diesel generation plants.
