Techno-economics of renewable hydrogen export: A case study for Australia-Japan

The shift from fossil fuels to clean energy carriers, such as renewable H2, 2 , is imminent. Consequently, a global H2 2 market is taking shape, involving countries with limited or insufficient energy resources importing from renewable-rich countries. This study evaluates the techno-economics of renewable hydrogen (H2) 2 ) export in a globally significant scenario in which Australia exports to Japan. To gain insight into the immediate, realisable future, the base year was selected as 2030, with a consequently small (in export terms) hydrogen production rate of 100 t/day landed capacity. Electricity was generated by photovoltaic arrays (PV) connected directly to proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser plant, allowing for flexible gaseous hydrogen (GH2) 2 ) production. To enhance the fidelity of the technoeconomic model, we incorporated rarely applied but impactful parameters, including dynamic efficiency and the overload capacity of PEM electrolysers. The GH2 2 produced was assumed to be converted into condensed forms suitable for export by sea: liquid hydrogen (LH2), 2 ), and the chemical carriers liquid ammonia (LNH3), 3 ), methanol (MeOH), methylcyclohexane (MCH). These were assumed to be reconverted to GH2 2 at the destination. LNH3 3 and MCH emerged as promising carriers for export, yielding the lowest landed levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH). LH2 2 yielded the highest LCOH unless boiloff gas could be managed effectively and cheaply. A sensitivity analysis showed that a lower weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and scale-up can significantly reduce the landed LCOH. Increasing the production rate to 1000 t/day landed capacity very significantly lowered the landed LCOH, providing a strong incentive to scale up and optimise the entire supply chain as fast as possible.