Techno-economic and Environmental Analysis of Wind-powered Green Hydrogen Production in Nigeria

Abstract

Green hydrogen is becoming a viable option for clean energy, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has also become a popular sustainable energy source. In this paper, we evaluate the technoeconomic and environmental feasibility of green hydrogen production from wind energy in five Nigerian cities: Kano, Jos, Maiduguri, Ikeja, and Ikorodu. Energy potential from wind energy is estimated by using the Weibull distribution method, and six wind turbines are used to calculate electricity generation and hydrogen production. Economics of wind power are estimated through levelized cost of energy (LCOE), levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), payback period (PBP), and return on investment (ROI), along with the mitigation of CO2 emissions. Jos showed the greatest potential for wind energy and economy, with WT1 producing up to 22.93 GWh/yr of electricity and 409.5 tons/yr of hydrogen. Jos had the lowest LCOE and LCOH (from $0.031/kWh to $0.035/kWh, $1.91/kg to $2.10/kg). Ikorodu produced the least amount of energy because of low winds. Larger turbines performed better in high winds and smaller ones in low winds. The study concluded that wind-powered hydrogen production is technically and economically feasible in some parts of Nigeria, particularly Jos, and can significantly lower emissions and help sustainable energy development.