Two-stage robust optimization of hydrogen microgrid in plateau tourist cities —taking Yunnan Lijiang as an example

Abstract Hydrogen energy, as a vital supplement to renewable energy, contributes significantly to the system's energy storage benefits. In this work, we build and optimize a hydrogen energy microgrid for the plateau tourist city of Lijiang, taking into account the city's unique geographic and climatic circumstances, with the goal of investigating the potential role of hydrogen energy in the regional energy structure and its economics. The study uses a two-stage robust optimization method to change the microgrid's configuration and operation strategy. The system uses a set of alkaline (ALK) electrolyzers, prioritizes wind turbine (WT) and photovoltaic (PV) production, as well as considers three hydrogen use pathways: hydrogen peaking, hydrogen transportation (HEV), hydrogen sales. The oxygen produced by the P2G technology can be used to refill portable oxygen cylinders, which will provide additional cash for highland attractions. The performance of this microgrid system was experimentally evaluated under different operating scenarios through simulation. The results show that the system is able to meet the daily power demand of about 920 residents in the ancient city area, supply 16 hydrogen-energy buses in a single day, and provide 694 kg oxygen. Furthermore, the single-day operational cost analysis reveals that using hydrogen energy saves the microgrid 25.72% in running expenses compared to a traditional microgrid. The use of data-driven uncertainty sets reduces operating costs by 20.82% compared to standard microgrids. This paper presents an innovative hydrogen microgrid design strategy for highland tourist communities, proving the benefits of hydrogen energy in facilitating a regional low-carbon transition.