Influence of the fuel cell technology on CO2 emissions reduction in Iran according to outlook 2030

Iran is one of the major oil-producing countries in the world. However, because of the environmental pollutions of fossil fuels, pay attention to the development of the renewable energy sources must be considered. The principal objective of this paper is to assess the situation of the fuel cells' power capacity in Iran. CO2 is the most major greenhouse gas. According to the outcomes, at by 2030, the installed capacity of fuel cells is about 3451457 kWh, which can be reduced CO2 emissions if be applied instead of the fossil fuel power plants. According to the Paris Agreement, business as usual in Iran, CO2 emissions must be reduced by 4% (74 million tons) to 2030. The results show that on average, fuel cell technology can decrease CO2 emissions by replacing with one fossil power plant with the a value of 0.003% of 74 million tons. Based on the outcomes of the prediction, if the government of Iran pays attention to the development of the fuel cell technology, this technology has an acceptable potential in reducing CO2 emissions. Finally, to determine the external cost reduction using fuel cell technology and the amount of the income of the export saved natural gas, an economic analysis is performed.