Aproveitamento de excedentes eólicos para produção de hidrogênio verde: uma abordagem técnico-energética com base em dados operacionais reais

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential use of surplus wind energy for green hydrogen production through water electrolysis. It addresses the issue of curtailment in wind farms, which results in the waste of renewable energy. The objective is to analyze the conversion of this surplus electricity into hydrogen through a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis system, considering its energy and economic performance. The methodology involves the collection and processing of operational time-series data, the selection of weighted representative days, the modeling of the system energy flow, and the simulation of annual operating behavior. Variables such as available surplus power, energy redirected to electrolysis, hydrogen production, electrolyzer capacity factor, and levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) are evaluated. The results indicate that the use of surplus wind energy enabled an estimated annual production of 1,134.75 tH2, with an LCOH of 4.47 USD/kgH2 in the base case. It is concluded that the integration of surplus wind energy and PEM electrolysis has the potential to reduce renewable energy waste and expand green hydrogen production in scenarios subject to operational constraints.