抄録
Renewable electricity is expected to be crucial for mitigating climate change; yet, despite its abundant potential globally, renewable electricity faces system integration challenges due to spatially-imbalanced resource distribution and the intermittent nature of its output. As technical countermeasures, energy carriers, including hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3), gain attention to control the variability and transport renewable-based energy for a long-distance. This study aims to assess the economic viability of H2 and NH3 for integrating renewable electricity in Asia—the gravity center of global energy market—employing an energy system model with a detailed spatial resolution. Simulation results suggest that cost reduction for electrolyzer would be prerequisite for promoting H2 production using renewable electricity (RE-based H2); limited availability of other low-carbon measures, including biomass and carbon capture and storage, would be a driver as well. Water electrolysis contributes to absorbing seasonal variability of renewables, and the produced H2 is mainly for decarbonizing the gaseous final energy demand. Pipeline transportation dominates H2 trade due to high fixed costs for maritime transportation. The simulation results also imply economic challenges for NH3 as energy carrier, again due to additional costs and energy losses for long-distance transportation.
