Combined Hydrogen and Power (CHyP) from Hybrid Wind–PV Plants: A Techno-Economic Pathway Toward Cost-Competitive Green Hydrogen in Spain

Green hydrogen produced via water electrolysis using renewable energy is central to the energy transition, but high production costs remain a major barrier. Solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind farms are dominant renewable sources, yet each has drawbacks: PV is inexpensive but limited in operating hours, while wind is costlier but offers steadier output. This paper introduces the Combined Hydrogen and Power (CHyP) concept, a co-production configuration in which hydrogen and electricity are treated as primary products for an industrial off-taker within a hydrogen hub. The electrolyzer is sized from the generation duration curve to optimize annual hydrogen output and operating hours, operated at nominal load to limit failures and maintenance. The resulting surplus electricity is assumed to be sold to nearby consumers to offset hydrogen production costs. Simulations of 500 MW hybrid wind–photovoltaic plants at selected locations in Spain identify an average optimal wind share of 27%. Assuming a surplus electricity price of 60 €/MWh, minimum LCOH values range from 1.68 to 4.40 €/kg. Sensitivity analysis shows that average LCOH decreases from 5.30 to 0.73 €/kg as the selling price increases from 40 to 80 €/MWh, highlighting the importance of electricity sales conditions (industrial demand, temporal marching and distribution capacity in the hydrogen hub) for the economic viability of the proposed concept.