Assessing the Potential of Green Hydrogen in Decarbonizing Off-Grid Amazonian Communities

Abstract

The decarbonization of the isolated microgrid systems existent in the Brazilian Amazon Region, primarily powered by diesel generators, is a relevant and urgent issue. This study analyzes the potential of green hydrogen (H2) to replace fossil fuels in such communities, focusing on the community of Izidolândia-RO. The work compares H2 to alternative energy systems and investigates key economic and environmental aspects of the application, using a technoeconomic model using HOMER Pro software. The results showed that, given current market conditions, a green H2 system is not yet economically competitive with alternative technologies. Still, to investigate the impact of different factors on the proposed system, several sensitivity analyses were carried out, showing that as this technology improves and the market develops, a decrease of 90% from current costs can make the technology economically competitive in the future.