Hydrogen carriers: Production, transmission, decomposition, and storage

Abstract Recognizing the potential role of liquid hydrogen carriers in overcoming the inherent limitations in transporting and storing gaseous and liquid hydrogen, a complete production and use scenario is postulated and analyzed for perspective one-way and two-way carriers. The carriers, methanol, ammonia and toluene/MCH (methylcyclohexane), are produced at commercially viable scales in a central location, transmitted by rail or pipelines for 2000 miles, and decomposed near city gates to generate fuel-cell quality hydrogen for distribution to refueling stations. In terms of the levelized cost of H2 distributed to the stations, methanol is less expensive to produce ($1.22/kg-H2) than MCH ($1.35/kg-H2) or ammonia ($2.20/kg-H2). Levelized train transmission cost is smaller for methanol ($0.63/kg-H2) than ammonia ($1.29/kg-H2) or toluene/MCH system ($2.07/kg-H2). Levelized decomposition cost is smaller for ammonia ($0.30–1.06/kg-H2) than MCH ($0.54–1.22/kg-H2) or methanol ($0.43–1.12/kg-H2). Over the complete range of demand investigated, 10–350 tpd-H2, the levelized cost of H2 distributed to stations is aligned as methanol « ammonia ~ MCH. With pipelines at much larger scale, 6000 tpd-H2, the levelized cost decreases by ~1 $/kg-H2 for ammonia and MCH and much less for methanol. Methanol is a particularly attractive low-risk carrier in the transition phase with lower than 50-tpd H2 demand.