As part of an R&D project funded by the Federal Office of Energy (FOE) on the hydrogen (H2) production at a run-of-river power plant, this accompanying study investigates in particular the arrangement.

Based on the pilot operation at the IBAarau hydropower plant, it is analyzed how the production of H2 by means of electrolysis for a logistics fleet of 200 fuel cell trucks can be integrated into the local and national electricity supply. The complex relationships between regional electricity production and consumption, the design of hydrogen production and filling stations, and the needs of fleet operation are analyzed for a past year and an operating strategy for the H2 production is made. Estimated changes in the production of electricity according to the federal “Energy Strategy 2050” with a phase-out of nuclear power and a massive expansion of renewables are also considered. Moreover, the size and design of the H2 storage is analyzed based on real measurements of the H2 consumption at the filling station as well as on a current and future electricity production patterns.