Modelling hydrogen integration in energy system models: Best practices for policy insights

Abstract

The rapid emergence of hydrogen in long-term energy strategies requires a broad understanding on how hydrogen is currently modelled in national energy system models. This study provides a review on hydrogen representation within selected energy system models that are tailored towards providing policy insights. The paper adopts a multi-layered review approach and selects eleven notable models for the review. The review covers hydrogen production, storage, transportation, trade, demand, modeling strategies, and hydrogen policies. The review suggests existing models would often opt for a simplified representation that can capture each stage of the hydrogen supply chain. This approach allows models to strike a balance between accuracy and preserving computational resources. The paper provides several suggestions for modeling hydrogen in national energy system models.