Techno-Economic Feasibility of Eavor-Loop Electrolytic Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen fuel is currently being explored as a replacement for diesel, which is heavily relied upon for long-haul transportation. The benefits of hydrogen fuel include carbon-free emissions (US Department of Energy, n.d.) and quick refueling (FuelCellWorks, 2021). There are logistical and financial issues with transportation and storage of hydrogen, and using green, dispatchable energy for hydrogen production on site solves these issues. The Eavor-Loop 2.0 design is a closed loop that extends approximately 7km into the ground and provides ample subsurface area for heat exchange with 12 multilateral passes. (Eavor Technologies Inc., 2022). The components of the proposed site design would include an Eavor-Loop, an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generator to convert heat to electricity, and an electrolyser system to convert electricity to hydrogen. This project will include a preliminary life cycle analysis (LCA) for materials required to produce a comparable amount of hydrogen using an Eavor-Loop with an ORC generator versus energy from wind and solar.

Faculty Supervisor:

Roman J Shor

Student:

Partner:

Eavor Technologies

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Utilities

University:

University of Calgary

Program: