IEA Hydrogen Task 41: Analysis and modelling of hydrogen technologies

R&D Focus Areas:
Energy systems integration, Sector coupling, Policy

Lead Organisation:
Hydricity Systems

Partners:
The University of Melbourne, Climate Energy College, Monash University

Status:
Completed

Start date:
May 2020

Completion date:
July 2023

Key contacts:
Dr. Robert Dickinson:  robert.dickinson@hydricity.com.au;  robert.dickinson@adelaide.edu.au
Dr. Changlong Wang: changlong.wang@unimelb.edu.au; changlong.wang@climate-energy-college.org

Funding:
Internal funding – Hydricity Systems, the University of Melbourne, Monash University
ARENA – Promoting Hydrogen Implementation and Utilisation in Australia: AUD$494,000 project grant (of total projected cost of AUD$1,230,000)

Project total cost:
Not applicable

Project summary description:
The main objective of Task 41 was to provide an updated and updatable long-lasting database on Hydrogen technologies allowing improved modelling, understanding and decision making. Additionally, the Task aims to establish a closer collaboration between the Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) and the Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program (ETSAP) community. The database component in the above list has been rolled over to a proposed new companion annual report to the Hydrogen Council’s annual Hydrogen Insights:
https://hydrogencouncil.com/en/hydrogen-insights-2023/

Dr Dickinson and Dr Wang participated in Subtask a: “Data consolidation of parameters describing hydrogen technologies”.  Dr. Dickinson led and Dr. Wang participated in Subtask b: “Develop knowledge of how to model Hydrogen in the value chain and improve current methods”.

The primary outcome of Subtask b was the publication of “A taxonomy of models for investigating hydrogen energy systems”: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112698.  This work is important for Australia as ETSAP, and the TIMES model on which it is founded, is only occasionally used here (AusTIMES). Numerous other modelling tools are used across industry, government, and academia across Australia: e.g., Arup’s National Hydrogen Infrastructure Assessment:
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/publications/national-hydrogen-infrastructure-assessment

Status update
Following the approval of a one-year extension in late 2021, Dr Dickinson took over as overall Task Leader in February 2022. A draft of the Final Report for Task 41 was presented to the IEA Hydrogen Executive Committe in Casablanca, 28-29 June 2023.  A polished published version is expected to be available for download from the IEA Hydrogen website by the end of July 2023.  A Final Public Workshop has been tentatively scheduled for 11 September 2023 (entirely on-line hosted by the IEA Hydrogen Technical Secretariat in Madrid).

Related publications and key links:
Task 41:
https://www.ieahydrogen.org/task/task-41-data-and-modelling/

Task 38: the key precursor to Task 41:
https://www.ieahydrogen.org/download/17/task-reports/3572/final-report-af-web.pdf
https://hydricity.com.au/Task38/PtX_Demos_Roadmap.pdf

Dr. Wang’s PhD thesis:
https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/267312

Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable

 

Updated: July 2023