Decentralized hydrogen-oxygen co-production via electrolysis for large hospitals with integrated hydrogen refueling station

In the pursuit of greener and more self-sufficient healthcare operations, this study presents an integrated economic and environmental analysis of on-site co-production of oxygen and hydrogen through proton exchange membrane electrolysis, specifically designed for the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. The proposed system aims to meet the hospital's oxygen demand while simultaneously producing hydrogen for use in fuel cell electric vehicles such as ambulances. A 1.5 MW PEM electrolyser is found to be sufficient to meet the hospital's O2 needs while generating hydrogen at a levelized cost of hydrogen of 4.6 <euro>/kgH2. When considering the implementation costs of an on-site hydrogen refueling station, an O2 drying and storage unit, as well as the avoided costs in bulk liquid O2 purchases, the break-even point for the sale of H2 at the refueling stations is 2.4 <euro>/kgH2. Apart from the economic benefits that could be achieved by selling the produced H2 above this price, the environmental analysis showed that 1874 tons of CO2 emissions per year could be avoided by the implementation of the concept proposed here. This integrated system not only contributes to the hospital's energy independence but also serves as a model for sustainable solutions in the healthcare sector, with significant environmental and financial benefits.