Hydrogen from Biomass for Cogeneration of Heat and Power via High-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell and Rankine Cycle: A Case Study for Africa

Solar and wind power are unreliable energy sources for underdeveloped countries owing to the expensive infrastructure required for them. Biomass must reckon as a renewable energy source to fix problems with energy storage, seasonality, and intermittency. This paper uses Africa as an example of an impoverished area that fails to fulfill its domestic energy demand. The sustainable utilization of biomass is a concern in this regard, as many African nations have ratified the Paris Agreement on lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The production of hydrogen from biomass is a possible means of its clean use. Hence, this study emphasizes the biomass-derived electrification of hydrogen via high-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), which are broadly considered to be commercially viable for automotive applications—especially for microgrids and logistics vehicles that require the least hydrogen infrastructure. This effort led to the creation of hydrogen generation infrastructure, its usage, and, thus, power generation for African microgrid systems, with a focus on biomass-derived hydrogen production based on combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems. Furthermore, energy and exergy studies are performed on power generation based on acost–the benefit evaluation of a hybrid system consisting of the CCHP & HT-PEMFC. This study found that biomass-derived hydrogen, which is used to power the HT-PEMFC system, is more cost-effective than competing technologies in specific off-grid circumstances. This strategy is practical, cost-effective, and ecologically friendly and will be useful for generating heat & power to meet with energy demands of microgrids and the residential sector.