Hydrogen Combined Cycles for Low-Carbon Power and Long-Term Carbon Storage

This study presents a comprehensive sustainability assessment of power generation configurations integrating blue hydrogen combined cycles with different carbon capture technologies. Four scenarios were systematically evaluated through process simulation and multi-criteria decision analysis, encompassing technical, economic, environmental, and social indicators. The assessed configurations comprise a conventional natural gas combined cycle, representing the current carbon-based benchmark, alongside three innovative blue hydrogen combined-cycle pathways incorporating distinct carbon capture technologies. The results demonstrate pronounced trade-offs among the evaluated scenarios: although the conventional configuration exhibits superior economic performance, it presents the least favorable environmental outcome, with a carbon intensity approximately an order of magnitude higher than that of the hydrogen-based alternatives. In terms of electricity generation potential, hydrogen-fired combined cycles achieve comparable energy performance, delivering 0.103 kWh per kJ of hydrogen relative to 0.116 kWh per kJ of natural gas. For all evaluated configurations, the chemical absorption case achieved the highest overall sustainability performance, attaining a sustainability degree of 1.41, corresponding to a 25% improvement over the conventional process. The findings of the present work underscore the potential of integrating blue hydrogen combined cycles to substantially improve the sustainability of electricity generation while supporting decarbonization pathways within the energy sector.