Prediction of production power for high-pressure hydrogen by high-pressure water electrolysis

Recent attention focused on fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) has created demand for the construction of hydrogen supply stations for FCEVs throughout the world. The hydrogen pressure supplied at the supply stations is intentionally high to increase the FCEVs driving mileage. Water electrolysis can produce clean hydrogen by utilizing electricity from renewable energy without CO2 emission to the atmosphere when compared with the industrial fossil fuel reforming process. The power required for high-pressure water electrolysis, wherein water is pumped up to a high-pressure, may be less than the power required for atmospheric water electrolysis, wherein the produced atmospheric hydrogen is pumped by a compressor, since the compression power for water is much less than that for hydrogen-gas. In this study, the ideal water electrolysis voltage of up to 70 MPa and 250 °C is estimated by referring to both the results of LeRoy et al. up to 10 MPa and 250 °C, and the latest steam tables. Using this high-pressure water electrolysis voltage, the power required to produce high-pressure hydrogen by high-pressure water electrolysis is estimated to be about 5% less than that required for atmospheric water electrolysis, assuming compressor and pump efficiencies of 50%.