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In pursuit of energy transition objectives, Algeria is increasingly focusing on the production and utilization of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen. While hydrogen has predominantly been used in the chemical and refining industries, it holds promise for decarbonizing specific industrial sectors, enabling electricity storage, and powering the transport sector. However, several barriers must be overcome before hydrogen technologies can be widely deployed. Numerous countries, with Japan at the forefront, are heavily investing in this burgeoning market, anticipating the creation of thousands of new jobs. Hydrogen offers Algeria significant potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and substantial economic benefits. In response, the Algerian government has prioritized energy transition to new and renewable sources as part of its economic recovery plan, aiming for "green" growth through innovative and digital energy technologies. This paper's primary objective is to provide a techno-economic foundation for guiding public policy development, identifying promising opportunities for green hydrogen within Algeria's energy transition context, and outlining sustainable pathways for pilot projects that promote hydrogen adoption within the Algerian society. Additionally, this paper will explore the latest advancements in hydrogen research, technology, and applications relevant to the Algeria's energy transition. The Algerian energy minister, has reaffirmed his desire to "invest in hydrogen", an energy source presented as one of the solutions to the climate crisis. In October 2021, Algeria launched a hydrogen plan worth several billion dinars, including 100 million for research, to enable the country to develop "green" hydrogen, i.e. produced without fossil fuels. • Algeria's energy transition mission focuses on promoting energy transition, innovation, and efficiency. • The Algerian Strategy on Green Hydrogen 2050 intends to establish a supportive framework for hydrogen sector development. • Algeria has set ambitious targets: reducing its GHG emissions by 2030 and lowering its consumption of petroleum products. • Algeria export between 30 and 40 TWh by 2040 of gaseous green hydrogen, liquefied, and derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of green hydrogen through electrolysis, utilizing renewable energies, is recognized as a pivotal element in the pursuit of decarbonization. In order to attain cost competitiveness for green hydrogen, reasonable generation costs are imperative. To identify cost-effective import partners for Germany, given its limited green hydrogen production capabilities, this study undertakes an exhaustive techno-economic analysis to determine the potential Levelized Cost of Hydrogen in Germany, Norway, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt for the year 2050, which represents a critical milestone in European decarbonization efforts. Employing a stochastic approach with Monte Carlo simulations, the paper marks a significant contribution for projecting future cost ranges, acknowledging the multitude of uncertainties inherent in related cost parameters and emphasizing the importance of randomness in these assessments. Country-specific Weighted Average Cost of Capital are calculated in order to create a refined understanding of political and economic influences on cost formation, rather than using a uniform value across all investigated nations. Key findings reveal that among the evaluated nations, PV-based hydrogen emerges as the most cost-efficient alternative in all countries except Norway, with Spain presenting the lowest Levelized Cost of Hydrogen at 1.66 €/kg to 3.12 €/kg, followed by Algeria (1.72 €/kg to 3.23 €/kg) and Morocco (1.73 €/kg to 3.28 €/kg). Consequently, for economically favorable import options, Germany is advised to prioritize PV-based hydrogen imports from these countries. Additionally, hydrogen derived from onshore wind in Norway (2.24 €/kg to 3.73 €/kg) offers a feasible import alternative. To ensure supply chain diversity and reduce dependency on a single source, a mixed import strategy is advisable. Despite having the lowest electricity cost, Egypt shows the highest Levelized Cost of Hydrogen, primarily due to a significant Weighted Average Cost of Capital. • LCOH projections for 2050 were determined through Monte Carlo Simulation. • PV-based hydrogen is the most cost-effective option in all countries except Norway. • Spain exhibits the lowest LCOH, followed by Algeria and Morocco. • Country-specific WACC variations significantly impact the LCOH. • Importing from Spain, Algeria, Morocco (PV), and Norway (onshore) is advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measures needed to limit global warming pose a particular challenge to current fossil fuel exporters, who must not only decarbonise their local energy systems, but also compensate for the expected decline in fossil fuel revenues. One possibility is seen in the export of green hydrogen. Using Algeria as a case study, this paper analyses how different levels of ambition in hydrogen exports, energy efficiency and fuel switching affect the cost-optimal expansion of the power sector for a given overall emissions reduction path. Despite falling costs for photovoltaics and wind turbines, the results indicate that in countries with very low natural gas prices, such as Algeria, a fully renewable electricity system by 2050 is unlikely without appropriate policy measures. The expansion of renewable energy should therefore start early, given the high annual growth rates required, which will be reinforced by additional green hydrogen exports. In parallel, energy efficiency is a key factor as it directly mitigates CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and reduces domestic electricity demand, which could instead be used for hydrogen production. Integrating electrolysers into the power system could potentially help to reduce specific costs through load shifting. Overall, it seems advisable to analyse hydrogen exports together with local decarbonisation in order to better understand their interactions and to reduce emissions as efficiently as possible. These results and the methodology could be transferred to other countries that want to become green hydrogen exporters in the future and are therefore a useful addition for researchers and policy makers. • The required strong capacity expansion for PV and wind is challenging, but feasible. • "Energy efficiency first" benefits both the local energy transition and H2 exports. • Fully renewable power systems require a suitable political framework. • Higher hydrogen exports might help to reduce the specific power system cost. • Fossil capacity expansion must be stopped to avoid lock-ins and higher future costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, wind resource availability was determined by analyzing the meteorological wind energy potential at the hub height of wind turbines. The wind resource potential was identified in specific geographic locations. Technical factors, such as siting requirements and resource availability, were taken into account in the investigation. The economic potential was calculated for each area of Algeria, considering overall losses. Subsequently, the potential for reducing fossil fuel usage was determined through wind to hydrogen estimation. The main components utilized in this work were a Vestas-90 wind turbine (V90–2.0 MW) and an alkaline electrolyzer. The analysis employed a Geographical Information System (GIS) tool. The results demonstrate Algeria's significant potential for wind to hydrogen production, estimated at 1.093 Gt/year without constraints, and reduced to 1.066 Gt/year when considering constraints. The levelized cost of wind to hydrogen production in Algeria varies between 1.51 and 15.37 US $/kg, depending on the chosen wind turbine. The wind to hydrogen production potential identified has the capacity to replace the entire current fossil fuel consumption in the transportation sector, which amounts to 5.28 Mt H 2 /year. The utilization of wind to hydrogen in the transport sector results in a significant reduction of CO 2 emissions, with a calculated avoidance of 45.69 Mt compared to the use of gasoline and diesel. Hydrogen produced from wind energy resources also could be used to support other sectors, including residential, agricultural, and industry in Algeria. • GIS-Based approach is used to evaluate the potential for wind to hydrogen production in Algeria. • The total wind to hydrogen potential in Algeria, when considering constraints, is estimated at 1.066 Gt/year, covering an area of 730,719 km2. • The levelized cost of wind to hydrogen production in Algeria ranges between 1.51 and 15.37 US $/kg, depending on the selected wind turbine (V90–2.0 MW). • The CO 2 emissions avoided in the transport sector are 45.69 Mt compared if the same amount of gasoline and diesel used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources appears to be an interesting solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring the energy security supply. This paper develops an integrated framework to evaluate land suitability for hydrogen production from solar energy site selection that combines multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) with geographical information systems (GIS); an application of the proposed framework for Algerian country. In GIS two types of criteria will be taken: constraints and weighting criteria. Constraints criteria will make it possible to reduce the area of study by discarding those areas that prevent the implementation of installing solar hydrogen production systems. These criteria will be obtained from the legislation (land use, water bodies, waterways, roads, railways, power lines, and also their buffer around them). Weighting criteria will be chosen according to the objective to be reached, in this case they will be the hydrogen demand, potential solar hydrogen production, digital elevation models (DEMs), slope, proximity to roads, railways, and power lines. Through the use of MCDM the criteria mentioned will be weighted in order to evaluate potential sites to locate a solar hydrogen production installation system. Analysis and calculation of the weights of these criteria will be conducted using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). As a result, the final index model was grouped into four categories as "very low suitability", "low suitability", "moderate suitability" and "high suitability" with a manual interval classification method. The results indicate that 10.34% (246,272.02 km2), of the study area has very low suitability, 60.75% (1,446,907.65 km2) has low suitability, 6.68% (159,100.3 km2) has moderate suitability and 0.49% (11,669.21 km2) has high suitability for a solar-powered hydrogen production installation system. The other 21.74% (517,790.5 km2) of the study area is not suitable for such projects. The sensitivity analysis highlights that the suitable sites for solar hydrogen production installation system are dependent on the weights of the criteria that influence the decision. The MCDM methodology integrated with GIS is a powerful tool for effective evaluation of the solar-powered hydrogen production sites selection. • The paper addresses the problem of site selection for solar hydrogen projects. • Land suitability index is computed to determine the best sites. • MCDM coupled with GIS is a powerful tool for effective evaluation of the solar hydrogen production sites selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of powering street traffic lights using stand-alone renewable systems has attracted much attention, in recent years. Classical configuration of photovoltaic (PV) cells connected to a battery bank is the most commonly employed approach in this regard. However, the low sunlight intensity in a lot of places around the globe, as well as the short-stage batteries autonomy, make this kind of systems technically less adequate. In this paper, and in order to improve the efficacy of the PV-based classical traffic lights, a hybrid system composed of a PV panel, battery, and a small PEM fuel cell is proposed. The goal is to develop a more reliable, efficient, and clean power supply that able to meet the load demands of the traffic lights during all the year. Ouargla region in Algeria (Latitude of 31°95′ N , Longitude of 5°24′ E , and Altitude of 0.141 km above Mean Sea Level) is taken as a case study to be investigated. The influence of stack temperature on PEMFC I–V characteristics are also given and analyzed, furthermore, the proposed Whale Optimization Algorithm WOA is used to solve the parameters identification problems of the PEMFC electrochemical model. Comprehensive experiment results and analyses indicate that the proposed algorithm has good performance considering a two temperature samples (26 °C and 39 °C), in such a way, the lowest Mean Absolute Error reaches 0.0589 V and 0.1044 V respectively. Finally, an optimal computer program to design the system components is established and the results show that the optimum PV area, hydrogen generator number, and battery capacity for powering regular light signals are obtained to be 0.72 m2, one electrolyser of 60 l/h, and one battery of 80 Ah, respectively. • The effect of fuel cell operating temperature on (I–V) characteristics have been investigated. • Sizing a hybrid system (photovoltaic/hydrogen) to feed a 50 W fuel cell to supply traffic light signals have been achieved. • A computer program has been created for sizing system elements to match the desired load. • One scenario configuration is proposed, which covered the right balance and no power interruption to the proposed load. • The parameters identification of the 50 W PEMFC is given at different stack temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating sector coupling technologies into Hydrogen (H 2) based hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) is becoming a promising way to create energy prosumers, despite the very little research work being done in this largely unexplored field. In this paper, a sector coupling strategy (building and transportation) is developed and applied to a grid-connected PV/battery/H 2 HRES, to maximise self-sufficiency for a University campus and to produce power and H 2 for driving electric tram in Ouargla, Algeria. A multi-objective size optimization problem is solved as a single objective problem using the ε -constraint method, in which the cost of energy (COE) is defined as the main objective function to be minimized, while both loss of power supply probability (LPSP) and non-renewable usage (NRU) are defined as constraints. Particle swarm optimization and HOMER software are then employed for simulation and optimization purposes. Prior to the two scenarios investigated, a sensitivity study is performed to determine the effects of H 2 demand by tram and NRU on the techno-economic feasibility of the proposed system, followed by a new reliability factor introduced in the optimization, namely loss of H 2 supply probability (LHSP). The results of the first scenario show that by setting NRUmax = 100%, the system without H 2 provides the best solution with COE of 0.016 $/kWh that reaches grid parity and has 13% NRU. However, by setting NRUmax = 1% in the second scenario, an optimized configuration consisting of grid/PV/Electrolyzer/Fuel cell/Storage tank is obtained, which has 0% NRU and COE of 0.1 $/kWh. In the second scenario, it is also observed that an increased number of trams (i.e. increased H 2 demands) causes a significant reduction in LHSP, COE, NRU and CO 2 emissions. It is thus concluded that the grid/PV combination is the optimal choice for the studied system when considering economic aspects. However, taking into account the growing requirements of future energy systems, grid-connected PV with H 2 will be the best solution. [Display omitted] • Multi-objective optimization of a grid-connected PV-hydrogen system. • A flexible building-transportation sector coupling strategy is implemented. • A techno-economic feasibility analysis with a sensitivity study is performed. • Educational buildings in the south of Algeria have a big potential to be Prosumers. • Sector coupling is a key strategy for the sustainable hydrogen economy in Algeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study on small-scale for solar hydrogen production system via a Proton Exchange Membrane electrolysis under a desert climatic condition in Ouargla region (South-East of Algeria) has been carried out, the target of this study has been first to evaluate hydrogen production by water analysis and to store the solar energy which has had the form of a hydride-metal hydrogen, after that, to investigate the performance of sophisticated commercial electrolyser (HG-60)powered by photovoltaic panels via the Power Management Unit (PMU) as a power conditioner, this paper has also a mathematical models based on real-time experiments were used to simulate both the photovoltaic system and PEM electrolyser work, along with attempting to direct linking strategy with the same experimental components of photovoltaic panels and commercial electrolyser, it was found through this study, the addition of the number of commercial electrolyser with the bank of four HG-60 stacks in series. More effective considering the improving voltage matching, with power transfer efficiency reach to 99%, also another factor is the photovoltaic panels slope on panel output power and hydrogen productivity are theoretically examined, where the proper selection of optimal tilt angle has an importance for collecting the maximum hydrogen amount, eventually, over the experiment span, the real-amount of hydrogen vented over experiment course is around 92.54l. • Experiments were used to modelling the solar hydrogen production system components. • The performance of PEM electrolyser powered by PV system was investigated. • A direct and indirect coupling PV/HG-60 water electrolyser system is investigated. • Hourly hydrogen production simulations for various panels slope levels are presented. • Panels slope angles effect on the PV/HG-60 performance is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with the assessment of the renewable hydrogen production potential in Algeria. The studied system produces hydrogen by electrolysis of water; electricity is supplied by a photovoltaic generator. Adequate mathematical models were used to calculate the electrolytic hydrogen production. Detailed hourly simulations were used to assess the potential for the entire country and to draw it maps. Throughout this study, the influence of the tilt angle of a photovoltaic generator has been investigated. It has been observed that the tilt angle has an impact on solar energy received by the photovoltaic generator, the produced solar electrical power and the rate of hydrogen production. We have calculated the optimal angles to maximize each element. We were particularly interested in the optimal angle to maximize hydrogen production. We found that the solar hydrogen potential for Algeria varies from 0.10 Nm3/m2/d to 0.14 Nm3/m2/d. This potential is quite significant, especially in the arid region of southeastern Algeria. The lowest potential is located in the northeast region. For stand-alone systems, it is important to assess the minimum available level, as their sizing takes into account the most unfavorable case. This level is between 0.07 Nm3/m2/d and 0.13 Nm3/m2/d. This shows that, even for a stand-alone system, the potential is quite high. Finally, we provide robust correlations that allow calculating the potential and the angle of inclination maximizing it for the whole of Algeria. • The influence of the photovoltaic generator (PVG) on the hydrogen production by alkaline electrolyzer has been described. • The performances of the PVG and electrolyzer for different inclination angles have been investigated. • Maps of hydrogen produced by electrolysis in Algeria has been plotted. • Maps of optimum tilt angle maximizing hydrogen production has been plotted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview and study of diesel power plant (DPP) map, configuration and design in Ain-Belbel Adrar (Situated in south of Algeria) which was constructed as basis to feed the costumers by electricity in this isolated village. Its capacity of electrical production is 5 MW; this power covers the energy demand of customers connected to the electrical distribution network. First, a brief introduction of the evolution of Algeria's electrical energy consumption and power plants installed in the south is presented, followed by studies of theoretical and experimental data. Several experimental works based on simulation and primary data from field measurement are presented to show the performance of the interconnection of Diesel power plant through 15 kV distribution line to improve electrical power supply. In power system voltage sag is considered to be the most common and serious power quality issue, Due to electrical disturbances occurred through autonomous networks such as voltage sags, swells and outages in 15 kV Ain-Belbel city feeder distribution system a dynamic voltage restorer is proposed to diminish the impact of voltage perturbation in this area. DVR should inject the equivalent dropped voltage as a reflection of active power and energy into the distribution system. However, the capability of energy storage is considered how the injection energy can be minimized and the load voltage can be close to the pre-fault voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the modeling and simulation of an earth air heat exchanger (EAHE), employed as an air-conditioning device for buildings in the climate conditions of the south of Algeria. The earth tubes buried in the ground can offer considerable advantages in terms of energy savings. The appropriate depth of the buried tubes was calculated taking into account the physical properties of the soil in the region under study and using a specific program developed by the authors. A parametric analysis was carried out taking into account the length and the radius of the pipe and the velocity of the air in the pipe. The results of performance and overall energy savings are presented. The maximum daily cooling capacity of the EAHE studied was 1.755 kWh. Results showed that a simple EAHE system can provide 246.815 kWh in a period of one year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at studying the hydrogen production from solar energy available in Biskra region in the east of Algeria by the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. The electrolyzer is supplied by solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Three kinds of PV generator with rated power up to 6 kW are used for producing hydrogen. The PV panel characteristics are experimentally validated. The instantaneous effects of temperature and solar radiation on PV characteristics are shown. Moreover, a comprehensive study is devoted to validate two different models for the areas solar radiation. The simulation results are compared to the experimental measurements using statistical analysis. The solar radiation model on a horizontal and on a tilted and oriented PV panel give sufficient results. The adequate agreement between the simulation results and the experimental data verifies the effectiveness of the proposed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydrogen is a valuable energy resource and it is widespread in nature. As a matter of fact, researches on hydrogen production are currently experiencing an increasing interest from scientists around the world since this resource is clean and renewable. Several methods of producing hydrogen have been developed in industrialized countries such as the United States of America and Germany. This paper is interested in the process by which hydrogen sulfide of geothermal areas is exploited for hydrogen production. In fact, research advances in this field have concluded that hydrogen sulfide of geothermal resources can contribute significantly and economically in the process of hydrogen generation. The present paper was principally conducted from a literature study and a synthesis of works achieved in recent years in order to highlight the various aspects of hydrogen production from hydrogen sulfide and particularly to study the possibility of the exploitation of Algeria’s thermal resources in this field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrogen fuel can be produced by using solar electric energy from photovoltaic (PV) modules for the electrolysis of water without emitting carbon dioxide or requiring fossil fuels. In this paper, an assessment of the technical potential for producing hydrogen from the PV/proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser system is investigated. The present study estimates the amount of hydrogen produced by this system in six locations using hourly global solar irradiations on horizontal plane and ambient temperature. The system studied in this work is composed of 60 W PV module connected with a commercial 50 W PEM electrolyser via DC/DC converter equipped with a maximum power point tracking. The primary objective is to develop a mathematical model of hydrogen production system, including PV module and PEM electrolyser to analyze the system performance. The secondary aim is to compare the system performance in terms of hydrogen production at seven locations situated in different regions of Algeria. The amount of hydrogen produced is estimated at seven locations situated in different regions. In terms of hydrogen production, the results show that the southern region of Algeria (Adrar, Ghardaia, Bechar and Tamanrasset) is found to have the relatively highest hydrogen production. The total annual production of hydrogen is estimated to be around 20–29 m3 at these sites. The hydrogen production at various sites has been found to vary according to the solar radiation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is related to hydrogen energy system analysis for residential applications in Ghardaia (southern region of Algeria). This system is based on proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, which is supplied by fuel reforming process, for producing hydrogen fuel starting from natural gas. The exhaust heat is recovered by a Thermal Storage Tank (TST), which is used in an absorption sub-system as a generator for residential cooling system. The feasibility analysis of an absorption cooling device, using thermal energy of PEMFC sub-system, for a residence application located at the unit of applied research in renewable energy in Ghardaia has been studied and performances were analysed. Electrical and thermal powers generated by the PEMFC sub-system with variable electrical loads (Part Load Ratio) have been analysed. The feasibility study shows that using PEMFC for residential cooling in Ghardaia is a promising solution. It is shown that the temperature of the TST is sufficient to supply the absorption sub-system with a coefficient of performance equals to 0.72 and, the efficiency of the HES equals to 97%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrogen demand as a clean energy is one of the new energy challenges in the future. Being a very controlled technology, the water electrolysis is more efficient at high temperature level than at low one. This is because of the use of thermal energy which is less expensive than the use of electricity power to produce the hydrogen; the chemical reaction is more activated in these conditions. In this paper, the feasibility of hydrogen production at high temperature electrolyser, using a hybrid solar resource, thermal energy (parabolic trough concentrators) to produce high temperature, steam water and photovoltaic energy for electricity requirements of the HTE, is presented. The described here-after presented in this document guarantees the production of an important quantity of hydrogen at 900 °C. The production rate depends on geographic position, on climatic conditions and on sun radiation. The optimization of the process is strongly related to what preceded these three parameters. Then, we suggest the set up construction in any region allowing maximum extraction of energy based in our simulation results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the wild-type of Chlorella sorokiniana a green microalga isolated from Algerian Sahara soil was tested for her ability to produce hydrogen coupled to a small Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). The strain was grown in heterotrophically conditions (Tris-Acetate-Phospate medium) under continuous light then it was transferred in medium without sulfur to activate the reversible hydrogenase inducing the hydrogen production process. The evolution of hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in the photobioreactor during the sulfur-deprived conditions was measured. The difference of total carbohydrates amount and cell morphology at the beginning and the end of experience was also studied. The results of the coupled system showed that the produced biohydrogen could be used to operate a PEM Fuel Cell with good performances under standard conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Algerian transport sector is still largely dependent on petroleum. Pollution emitted by this sector is constantly increasing with the expansion of the automobile fleet. Thus, there is a pressing need for use of cleaner and economically viable alternative fuels. Therefore, the use of Hydrogen enriched Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) is expected to play a significant role to reach this target. When hydrogen and natural gas are used together in an internal combustion engine, large benefits are possible. Algeria has significant resources and potential to introduce this new fuel. The development of HCNG as a transportation fuel allows an entry point for hydrogen in the transportation sector. The aim of this paper is to discuss strategic ways to introduce HCNG as road fuel, in Algeria. Two fundamental strategic elements were designed to introduce the Hydrogen Enriched Natural Gas as a transportation fuel. These are, the development of compressed natural gas as a road fuel, and the completion of the MedHySol project. The MedHySol project includes the production and the distribution of solar produced hydrogen, and involves the project HySolThane intended for the development of HCNG fuel road with 8% vol of Hydrogen in Natural Gas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]