Technical Evaluation and Life-Cycle Assessment of Si+ based Hydrogen Production Technology Integrated Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell System for Electricity Generation

The growing global interest in hydrogen as a clean energy carrier has sparked a renewed focus on its potential to drive a sustainable energy transition, particularly in the electricity generation sector using fuel cells. However, the sustainability of the produced electricity would depend on the how sustainable and efficient the underlying hydrogen production process is?, also depends on the associated supply chain issues particularly the logistical complexities and risks associated with hydrogen storage and transportation (short or long distance) irrespective of the production method. Motivated by these considerations, we propose an Si+ based hydrogen production technology integrated with a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system for electricity generation.

The proposed Si+ route (using virgin Si+ and recycled Si+) is an in-house developed technology by our industrial partner EPRO Advance Technology Limited in Hong Kong, built upon the principles of design thinking, advanced process integration capabilities, and smart control mechanisms. This enables on-site hydrogen generation, as well as optimized production and utilization, thereby reducing the operational complexities and risks associated with hydrogen storage and transportation.

In this study, we present the technical evaluation (via experimental studies) and environmental sustainability results of 1 kWh electricity generation (via life cycle assessments) with the proposed integrated system under different operational and system design settings. These focus on heat and by-product recovery, as well as system expansion for the recovery products. Additionally, we have conducted an analysis by formulating case studies from a business establishment point of view for this technology, considering different regions (Berlin, Scotland, Beijing) as the sites of operation where hydrogen and electricity will be produced, and the raw materials required would be shipped from Mainland China. We have also compared our results with electricity production from hydrogen produced via various pathways.

Our results reveal that there exists a strong potential for hydrogen produced from the Si+ (virgin and recycled) pathway to drive the hydrogen-based electricity systems towards sustainability and can play a significant role in power sector development, considering the existing power system architectures like microgrids, smart grids, and nano-grids.