Scheduling of a Concentrated Solar Power Plant Integrated in a Renewable System for Hydrogen Production

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide This study presents a scheduling and dispatch multiperiod mixed-integer linear program (MILP) for a system to produce hydrogen. The system includes a wind plant, a photovoltaic plant, and a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) to supply renewable electricity to a water desalination plant, storage tanks, and an electrolyzer system. The model features a detailed scheduling for the operations of the receiver and power block of the CSP plant over 8 days, utilizing two different time resolutions. The aim is to determine the optimal scheduling and dispatch that maximize operational profit. Two case studies are analyzed under distinct weather profiles (winter and summer) in Saudi Arabia, alongside a sensitivity analysis on hydrogen demand profiles. The results highlight the critical role of the CSP plant, particularly in scenarios requiring a continuous hydrogen supply and when renewable resources are insufficient. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis reveals that a mixed hydrogen demand profile, incorporating both a continuous demand and a weekly demand, enhances system profitability and component utilization.