Optimal Operation of a Hydrogen Plant with Energy Systems Library and OPTIMICA Compiler Toolkit

The session explores the optimal operation of an electrolysis facility that injects hydrogen into the gas grid by means of ESL (Energy Systems Library) and OCT (Optimica Compiler Toolkit). The optimization problem seeks to minimize the daily operation costs considering inputs such us meteorological forecasts and hourly electricity prices, fulfilling constraints such as daily hydrogen injection target and maximum flow injected into the gas grid. The electricity comes from solar photovoltaic panels and a bidirectional connection with the electricity grid, therefore the electricity produced by PV panels can be self-consumed or sold in the electricity market. 

The main result shows the operation profile and the daily costs against the baseload operation to help the plant’s operator schedule the operation of the next day.  The simulation and optimization framework developed has the potential for future applications, including integrating more renewable energy sources and planning long-term hydrogen production strategies.