Techno-Economic Analysis and Optimal Operation of a Hydrogen Refueling Station Providing Frequency Ancillary Services

Following the urgency of climate change issues, investments in renewable energy sources and electrification of the transportation sector have enormously increased to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable future. However, as renewable resources like wind parks are replacing conventional power plants, new balancing solutions are required to strengthen grid stability. As responsive loads with quick dynamics, electrolyzers operating in hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) can offer flexible balancing services to the power grid. To gain this benefit, this article examines the techno-economic features of providing different frequency grid services by an HRS, considering the possibility of hydrogen injection into the industrial and natural gas pipelines. The ratings of the subcomponents and dispatch plans are optimized to enhance the performance of the plant. A probabilistic mixed-integer linear programming problem is solved over one year with a time resolution of 1 h and using real-world historical data based on the European electricity market. The simulation results indicate that the economic profits can be increased significantly as a result of participating in the ancillary service markets and meeting its operation specifications while the stable performance of the HRS is guaranteed.