(296a) Systems Perspective on the Role and Design Space of Emerging Hydrogen Technologies for Energy System Decarbonization

As the emphasis of regional and national decarbonization efforts shifts from the power sector to the broader economy, there is growing interest in hydrogen (H₂) and enabling technologies for decarbonizing various end-uses where direct electrification remains challenged. The versatility of H₂, spanning production, storage, transportation and end-uses underscores its growing appeal. However, the many possible H₂ supply chains and the resulting cross-sectoral interactions complicates the assessment of H2 infrastructure and underlying technologies. In this presentation, we will highlight the use of advanced modeling frameworks to study cost-effective design and operation of H₂ technologies and supply chains for energy system decarbonization. The presentation will discuss the techno-economic outlook, emissions impacts and scalability of commercially available low-carbon hydrogen production pathways. Here, the importance of operational flexibility for electricity-intensive processes like water electrolysis to access low-carbon and low-cost electricity from an increasingly renewables dominant power system will be highlighted. At the same time, the design and scale-up implications of alternative electrolysis technologies will be highlighted. In addition, we will showcase the use of multi-vector energy system models to quantify the scale of H₂ technology deployment as well as the value and design space of emerging H₂ technologies.