Utilisation of solar/thermal power plants for hydrogen production and application in the transportation sector

Wider use of fossil fuels is prohibited by unfavourable recent climate change phenomena as well as constraints from greenhouse gasses emissions, regulated strictly by the European Union. Fuel demanding sectors, such as transportation, impose utilisation of environmentally friendly technologies which will contribute in increased hydrogen production, which is considered as energy carrier for future applications. The state-of-the-art of solar/thermal power plants, and technologies for hydrogen production, storage and application are briefly reviewed. The utilisation of solar/thermal power plants from technical and economical point of views, for electricity production which will subsequently be exploited for hydrogen production is examined. It is argued that use of hydrogen to empower internal combustion engine vehicles, as well as fuel cell vehicles, can extensively satisfy the energy requirements of the transportation sector in the near future. Hydrogen usage can subsequently decrease the dependency on fossil fuel imports of local economies of southern Mediterranean insular areas with high solar radiation. Recent statistical data both for fuel demands for transportation, as well as pertinent CO emissions are illustrated for the case study of the island of Cyprus. In the case study, the energy requirements for the transportation sector are used and the exploitation of solar/thermal power plants is analysed. From the case study results and findings, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are provided for the type and size of solar/thermal power plants, and the appropriate hydrogen technologies to be adapted in the near future for limiting dependency on fuel imports and largely decreasing CO₂ emissions.