New simulation tool helping a feasibility study for renewable hydrogen bus fleet in Messina

Hydrogen has great potential as CO2-free “fuel” for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) when produced by electrolysis from wind sources. The aim of this work is to build a new flexible simulation tool able to determine better technical and economic solutions in order to design a wind supplied hydrogen filling station for a FC mini-bus fleet in Messina. The simulation tool is written in Fortran and developed in TRNSYS environment started by Hydrogems library. The economic analysis has been based on Discounted cash flow method tanking into account operative and maintenance expenditures. The simulation shows how the hydrogen cost is strongly linked to the boundary conditions, such as the specific wind source available, the hydrogen demand and the basic electrolyzers management.