Ellen Phiddian
Cosmos science journalist
Hydrogen-powered trucks could help to lower emissions and yield cheaper power on aging electricity grids, according to a team of Canadian researchers.
Modelling from the University of Waterloo showed that plugging these vehicles into the grid at rush hours could help to smooth demand in the province of Alberta.
The researchers presented their findings at the 2023 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference on smart energy grid engineering.
“Canada’s power grids need to be upgraded,” says research lead Dr XiaoYu Wu, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering.
“But the price of Alberta’s power grid is much higher than other provinces. Most power is supplied by fossil fuels which results in high carbon emissions.
“The need to rapidly adjust generators to meet fluctuating demand is one of the reasons that the grid price is unstable and volatile. This creates the potential for clean energy storage to flatten the demand and price of electricity.”
The researchers looked at “fuel cell electric vehicles”: vehicles powered by hydrogen. Hydrogen produces no greenhouse gas emissions when burned, and it can be made in a zero-emissions way, making it a promising alternative fuel for heavy vehicles that aren’t suited to full electrification.
The researchers modelled how electricity demand and pricing might change if these trucks were plugged into hydrogen refuelling stations during peak hours, using their fuel cells to provide electricity for the grid. Truck drivers would be paid to rest during this time.
Their modelling found that this would lower vehicle traffic and reduce energy use at peak times, as well as making electricity cheaper and cleaner.
“Hydrogen fuel cells offer advantages over other fuels like batteries which require more investment and pollute more when you dispose of them,” says Daniel Ding, a graduate student at Waterloo.
“Our preliminary findings show that using existing fuel cells in electric vehicles of the future can decrease costs on the grid.”
Wu adds that this scheme could also be an incentive for adopting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, as drivers would be paid while resting.
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