Strategy for Connecting Water Electrolysis Based on Small Hydropower Source for Green Hydrogen Production

Carbon neutrality, which has emerged significantly in recent years, has reduced coal-fired power plants worldwide and the proportion of renewable energy sources is increasing. Currently, the mandatory RES supply ratio based on the Renewable Portfolio Standard(RPS) system has been revised from 10% to 12.5% as of 2022, and the goal of reducing greenhouse gases by more than 40% compared to 2018 by 2030 by raising the Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC) through the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). According to this policy, the proportion of renewable energy sources in Korea will increase further, but as a power source that cannot be controlled causes a problem in the supply and demand balance of a power load, the expansion of stable renewable energy sources using green hydrogen is in the spotlight. Green hydrogen is produced through water electrolysis technology that stores hydrogen generated by electrolysis of water and discharges oxygen into the atmosphere. This paper could consider the finite amount of water required to use the water electrolysis technology and derives a water electrolysis connection method based on a small hydropower source whose power is relatively stabilized among renewable energy sources. In this paper, it is classified from the perspective of water electrolysis facilities to the energy perspective linked to water electrolysis, and the method of linking water electrolysis based on a small amount of power is analyzed.