Economic operation of integrated energy systems considering combined production of hydrogen and medical oxygen

Developing integrated energy systems have been considered a feasible pathway to renewable-powered energy systems. The power to hydrogen technology is recognised as a promising method to enhance the economics of integrated energy systems and help reduce renewable curtailments. However, oxygen-enriched gas, which is the by-product of power to hydrogen processes (electrolysation), has not been fully utilised yet. It can be purified to produce medical oxygen at a low cost and may further increase the economics of integrated energy systems. Particularly, at this very moment, the consideration of the combined production of hydrogen and medical oxygen also has the potential to relieve the shortage of medical oxygen due to the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This study proposes a model for the operation of integrated energy systems that consider the combined production of hydrogen and medical oxygen. This model is formulated as a convex mixed-integer optimisation problem that balances the electricity, heat and hydrogen demands every hour in a 24-hour period and balances oxygen demand on a daily basis. A test case of Taizhou City has been studied and results show that the combined production of hydrogen and medical oxygen improves the integrated energy system economics.