Viability of Green Hydrogen Production at Benguela Wind Energy Community Project in Lüderitz, Namibia
Abstract
The use of renewable energy-generated hydrogen can be an effective solution to reduce the impact of carbon emissions on global climate change. Water electrolysis is a crucial technology for producing green hydrogen due to its scalability, which can help balance the gap between energy demand and supply. This study evaluates the technical feasibility of integrating an additional electrolysis component into a stand-alone community wind energy system. The wind power generated by the system charges a battery bank used for community business activities. The results showed significant excess energy that can be used to produce hydrogen. By integrating a 7 kW electrolyser, annual hydrogen production of up to 235 kg can be achieved without compromising the electrical load demand. Hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel to meet the usual unmet loads in off-grid systems like cooking, without requiring system upsizing.