Will changing the way of hydrogen production reduce carbon dioxide emissions? Incorporating the power system into a hydrogen production TIMES model.

This article examines the impact of integrating the power system into a hydrogen production model based on the Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System (TIMES) framework to assess CO2 emissions from hydrogen production in China. It analyzes how hydrogen production technology optimization and power structure optimization influence both direct and indirect CO2 emissions under various scenarios from 2020 to 2060. The study finds that under a business-as-usual scenario, CO2 emissions initially decline but rebound due to increased electrolytic hydrogen production powered by a carbon-intensive grid. Optimizing hydrogen production technologies yields greater emission reductions initially, while power structure optimization's impact grows over time; their combined effect surpasses the sum of individual reductions, enabling potential zero emissions by 2060. These results highlight the critical need for coordinated development of clean power supply and hydrogen production technologies to achieve low-carbon hydrogen energy, offering valuable insights for policymakers and researchers focused on energy transition and decarbonization strategies.