Prospective Assessment of Hydrogen-Based Steel Making in Germany considering Demand Response, Economic and Environmental aspects

Abstract

To determine DR potentials in hydrogen-based steel manufacturing, this thesis assesses scenarios for producing hydrogen-based steel in northern Germany using wind electricity. These scenarios are modelled in a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) optimisation to evaluate economic, operational, and grid stabilising factors. In addition, the manufacturing life cycle is modelled for a prospective life cycle assessment to evaluate environmental implications. The purpose of these methods is to evaluate essential information for managing sustainable development at the intersection of the power and steel production systems. The results demonstrate that the flexibility of electrolysers unlocks significant demand response capabilities, leading to reduced environmental impacts. Notably, from an environmental perspective, it makes little difference whether fluctuating renewable energy sources are managed through high demand response in industrial processes or seasonal hydrogen storage