Renewable energy integration with electric-hydrogen-ammonia coupled microgrids

Power demand fluctuates across hours, days, and seasons, posing a challenge to the effective utilization and storage of energy. With the increasing integration of renewable energy sources into power grids, the effects of supply-demand imbalances are becoming especially pronounced, in particular due to seasonal characteristics and the intermittent nature of wind and solar power.

Hydrogen energy storage is being introduced as a potential remedy. The coupling between hydrogen and electricity overcomes limitations in cost and performance, but introduces safety concerns and fails to address the full range of energy storage needs. Noting these challenges, Chen et al. explored the integration of ammonia into electric-hydrogen coupled energy storage.

“What initially inspired us to explore novel energy storage systems were the urgent safety challenges associated with hydrogen applications, combined with a gap in existing energy storage solutions,” said author Jiapeng Xu. “In particular, single-type energy storage systems struggle to balance short-to-medium- and long-term energy supply and demand.”

The researchers conducted a two-layer multi-timescale chronological operation simulation on an electric-hydrogen-ammonia coupled microgrid. While the upper layer operates at an annual cycle with weekly time steps and determines the charge profiles of ammonia energy storage, the lower layer determines hydrogen and electricity profiles and runs at a weekly cycle with hourly time steps. Together, the three energy storage types adapt to changing electricity demands at various timescales.

“Our framework not only enhances system economy but also leverages the distinct energy storage characteristics of the three storage types, thereby meeting the system’s short-, medium-, and long-term multi-timescale supply-demand balance requirements,” said Xu.

Next, the authors plan to refine the equipment model of the coupled microgrid, aiming to enhance the practical deployment of low-carbon power systems.

Source: “Two-layer multi-timescale chronological operation simulation for electric-hydrogen-ammonia coupled microgrid,” by Lei Chen, Jiapeng Xu, Ning Li, Zheng Tian, Naifu Yan, and Qi Han, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0281746 .

This paper is part of the Data & Model Driven Solutions for Smart and Sustainable Multi-Energy Systems Collection, learn more here .