Great Britain’s substantial growth in wind and solar power has created surplus renewable energy. However, intermittency and variable demand cause demonstrable curtailment. This study analyses wind and solar curtailment trends across Great Britain using derived wind and modelled solar data to explore the potential for green hydrogen production. An economic analysis establishes the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH), considering potential revenue streams and future market evolution. Key findings indicate that based on our macroscopic proxy data, combining wind and solar sources potentially enhances energy capture by up to 2.26 times in specific regions compared to single-source generation. Furthermore, scenario-dependent projections indicate LCOH reduction trajectory reaching £3/kg by 2060 under optimal, zero-marginal cost conditions, together with rendering hydrogen from curtailed energy competitive with current market averages. This research offers a holistic understanding of the economic viability of repurposing curtailed energy, contributing to a sustainable energy transition.
Storey et al. (Wed,) studied this question.