Decentralized Hydrogen Production from Magnesium Hydrolysis for Off-Grid Residential Applications

This work explores water hydrolysis using magnesium as a decentralized dihydrogen source for off-grid households. A dedicated reactor design enabled on-demand dihydrogen generation, coupled with a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) for electricity and heat production. Different energy management strategies were compared, highlighting the limitations of single-purpose approaches and the benefits of converting surplus electricity to heat. The integration of photovoltaic generation further reduced magnesium demand by 30%, thus reducing storage requirements to close to 1565 kg of magnesium powder per year, i.e., a volume of 0.9 m3 to cover the heat and electricity needs of a four-person household. Results demonstrate that combining water hydrolysis with magnesium and renewables provides a feasible and sustainable solution for autonomous energy supply in isolated sites.