Green hydrogen potential assessment in Ghana: application of PEM electrolysis process and geospatial-multi-criteria approach

Figures & data

Figure 1. Methodology flowchart.

Figure 2. Spatial representation of case study country, (a) Map of Ghana with regional boundaries, (b) Geographical location of Ghana.

Figure 3. Geospatial data inputs for the land suitability analysis: a. Elevation map; b. Population density map; c. restricted areas; d 20 km buffer distance around grid network.

Table 1. Technical specifications for the green hydrogen modelling.

Component	Value
Photovoltaic module efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{P}V}$)	17.5%
Spacing factor for Photovoltaic module (${\mathit{\eta }}_{{\varphi }_{\mathit{S}ECS}}$)	2
Power conditioning efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{P}C}$)	85%
Electrolysis system efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{E}lec}$)	75%
Rectifier efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{R}ec}$)	90%
Hydrogen Higher Heating value ($\mathit{H}H{\mathit{V}}_{{\mathit{H}}_2}$)	39.4 kWh/kg
Gearbox efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{g}b}$)	85%
Generator efficiency (${\mathit{\eta }}_{\mathit{g}en}$)	95%

Table 2. Summary statistics for the solar-based green hydrogen analysis.

Region Name	Actual land (km²)	Geographical Potential (%)	SECSMAX withSpacing (GWh/year)	SECSTOTAL withSpacing (TWh/year)	SECSMAX NoSpacing (GWh/year)	SECSTOTAL NoSpacing (TWh/year)	HydrogenMAX withSpacing (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL withSpacing (Mt/year)	HydrogenMAX NoSpacing (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL NoSpacing (Mt/year)	HydrogenMAX NoSpacing and within 20 km Grid Network (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL NoSpacing and within 20 km Grid Network (Mt/year)	Total Population	Population within 20 km Grid within the region (%)
Ahafo	5195.47	74.48%	133.13	6492.93	266.26	12,985.87	2534.22	123.60	5068.45	247.19	5068.45	48.43	584,877	18.10%
Ashanti	24,370.22	83.78%	140.57	35,435.45	281.14	70,870.91	2675.80	674.53	5351.60	1349.07	5351.60	945.32	5,871,660	94.12%
Bono	11,648.92	80.08%	140.57	16,061.54	281.14	32,123.07	2675.80	305.74	5351.60	611.48	5238.34	279.98	1,128,141	64.36%
Bono East	23,247.90	85.61%	143.54	36,270.72	287.09	72,541.44	2732.43	690.43	5464.86	1380.86	5464.86	754.72	1,157,074	71.67%
Central	9659.34	91.91%	142.80	14,894.95	285.60	29,789.90	2718.27	283.53	5436.55	567.07	5436.55	482.97	2,682,408	92.29%
Eastern	18,958.36	92.21%	144.29	30,654.39	288.58	61,308.79	2746.59	583.52	5493.18	1167.05	5493.18	1028.48	3,285,799	97.53%
Greater Accra	3698.86	96.54%	147.26	6321.59	294.52	12,643.18	2803.22	120.33	5606.44	240.67	5606.44	240.67	4,896,589	100.00%
Northern	24,842.42	95.95%	149.49	45,513.71	298.99	91,027.43	2845.69	866.38	5691.39	1732.76	5663.07	497.75	1,843,100	49.55%
Northern East	9071.41	94.82%	152.47	16,980.45	304.94	33,960.90	2902.32	323.23	5804.65	646.46	5748.02	151.99	558,297	24.78%
Oti	11,066.07	93.68%	142.80	18,682.96	285.60	37,365.93	2718.27	355.64	5436.55	711.28	5379.92	423.55	825,973	63.62%
Savannah	35,853.03	77.47%	149.49	52,370.22	298.99	104,740.45	2845.69	996.90	5691.39	1993.79	5663.07	931.25	661,612	52.26%
Upper East	8618.64	84.51%	153.96	14,675.33	307.91	29,350.66	2930.64	279.35	5861.28	558.71	5861.28	383.33	1,262,883	85.36%
Upper West	19,032.96	92.95%	154.70	35,348.75	309.40	70,697.50	2944.80	672.88	5889.59	1345.76	5889.59	719.93	838,098	71.18%
Volta	9827.90	90.60%	145.77	15,547.96	291.55	31,095.92	2774.90	295.96	5549.81	591.93	5549.81	578.92	1,881,531	97.77%
Western	14,257.30	79.09%	138.34	18,633.07	276.68	37,266.14	2633.33	354.69	5266.66	709.38	5266.66	571.82	1,961,022	90.07%
Western North	10,080.18	53.58%	131.64	9003.11	263.29	18,006.23	2505.91	171.38	5011.82	342.76	5011.82	223.31	878,605	68.20%
Total	239,428.99	85.45%		372,887.15		745,774.32		7098.11		14,196.21		8262.40	30,317,669.77	84.33%

Table 3. Summary statistics for the wind-based green hydrogen analysis.

Region Name	Actual land (km²)	Geographical Potential (%)	Air DensityMax (kg/m³)	WPDMax(W/m²/year)	WECSMAX withSpacing (GWh/year)	WECSTOTAL withSpacing (TWh/year)	WECSMAX NoSpacing (GWh/year)	WECSTOTAL NoSpacing (TWh/year)	HydrogenMAX withSpacing (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL withSpacing (Mt/year)	HydrogenMAX NoSpacing (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL NoSpacing (Mt/year)	HydrogenMAX NoSpacing and within 20 km Grid Network (Tonnes/year)	HydrogenTOTAL NoSpacing and within 20 km Grid Network (Mt/year)	Total Population	Population within 20 km Grid within the region (%)
Ahafo	5195.47	74.48%	1.2084	122.85	3.38	68.21	520.57	10,503.97	57.91	1.17	8918.40	179.95	8000.31	39.66	584,877.03	18.10%
Ashanti	24,370.22	83.78%	1.2186	465.96	12.82	375.87	1974.44	57,883.58	219.65	6.44	33,826.13	991.66	33,826.13	745.66	5,871,660.15	94.12%
Bono	11,648.92	80.08%	1.2133	393.54	10.83	206.48	1667.60	31,797.78	185.51	3.54	28,569.30	544.76	12,270.76	285.54	1,128,141.31	64.36%
Bono East	23,247.90	85.61%	1.2162	195.46	5.38	284.46	828.25	43,807.25	92.14	4.87	14,189.53	750.50	14,189.53	508.87	1,157,073.79	71.67%
Central	9659.34	91.91%	1.2248	247.04	6.80	215.09	1046.81	33,123.86	116.45	3.68	17,933.95	567.48	17,933.95	500.53	2,682,408.02	92.29%
Eastern	18,958.36	92.21%	1.2244	555.47	15.28	334.11	2353.74	51,452.74	261.85	5.72	40,324.30	881.49	40,324.30	840.38	3,285,799.40	97.53%
Greater Accra	3,698.86	96.54%	1.2264	351.23	9.66	126.48	1488.30	19,477.19	165.57	2.17	25,497.45	333.68	25,497.45	333.68	4,896,589.01	100.00%
Northern	24,842.42	95.95%	1.2156	140.01	3.85	492.13	593.27	75,788.69	66.00	8.43	10,163.83	1298.41	7750.32	382.96	1,843,099.65	49.55%
Northern East	9071.41	94.82%	1.2117	201.85	5.55	192.51	855.31	29,646.10	95.15	3.30	14,653.14	507.90	11,310.42	110.96	558,297.00	24.78%
Oti	11,066.07	93.68%	1.2166	145.91	4.01	114.65	618.27	17,655.36	68.78	1.96	10,592.19	302.47	10,592.19	154.45	825,972.68	63.62%
Savannah	35,853.03	77.47%	1.2159	103.16	2.84	379.91	437.11	58,506.21	48.63	6.51	7488.58	1002.33	7488.58	519.10	661,612.23	52.26%
Upper East	8618.64	84.51%	1.2096	234.59	6.45	172.50	994.05	26,565.30	110.58	2.96	17,029.97	455.12	17,029.97	336.91	1,262,882.84	85.36%
Upper West	19,032.96	92.95%	1.2076	139.65	3.84	416.04	591.75	64,070.61	65.83	7.13	10,137.79	1097.66	10,137.79	642.89	838,098.12	71.18%
Volta	9827.90	90.60%	1.2252	267.64	7.36	182.32	1134.08	28,077.94	126.16	3.12	19,429.07	481.03	19,429.07	472.70	1,881,530.86	97.77%
Western	14,257.30	79.09%	1.2254	162.34	4.47	192.20	687.91	29,598.79	76.53	3.29	11,785.26	507.09	11,785.26	406.67	1,961,022.38	90.07%
Western North	10,080.18	53.58%	1.2219	166.07	4.57	84.08	703.69	12,948.64	78.28	1.44	12,055.59	221.84	12,055.59	135.91	878,605.31	68.20%
Total	239,428.99	85.45%				3837.04		590,904.02		65.74		10,123.36		6416.87	30,317,669.77	84.33%

Figure 4. Visualisation of the solar irradiance and wind speed distribution.

Figure 5. Solar energy potential from the SECS with corresponding green hydrogen production using solar with no spacing factor.

Figure 6. Solar-based green hydrogen technical potential model.

Figure 7. Wind energy potential from the WECS with corresponding hydrogen production with no spacing factor.

Figure 8. The wind turbine capacity factor with corresponding wind energy generated per region.

Figure 9. Wind-based green hydrogen technical potential model.

Figure 10. Potential for utility-scale solar-based green hydrogen.

Figure 11. Potential for utility-scale wind-based green hydrogen.