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Techno‑Enviroeconomic Modeling of a Solar‑Green Hydrogen System with Industrial Wastewater Reuse via Integrated Hourly Simulation‑LCA‑DCF

Irtaza Bashir Raja ORCID
College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 43701, Pakistan
Yasir Ahmad ORCID
College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad 43701, Pakistan
Tariq Feroze ORCID
Department of Sustainable Advanced Geomechanical Engineering, Military College of Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Risalpur 23200, Pakistan
Bekir Genc ORCID
School of Mining Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa

Received: 5 November 2025; Revised: 24 December 2025; Accepted: 31 December 2025; Published: 12 January 2026

Abstract

Solar–hydrogen hybrid systems provide low-carbon and dispatchable energy, yet most existing configurations implicitly assume freshwater availability, thereby overlooking the role of water reuse in water-stressed regions. In semi-arid industrial contexts, the integration of clean energy systems with circular water management is essential for long-term sustainability. This study develops a closed-loop Solar–Green Hydrogen Hybrid System (SGHHS) in which industrial effluent is treated through a membrane bioreactor–reverse osmosis–deionization (MBR→RO→DI) sequence to satisfy proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer water-quality requirements, while water recovered from fuel-cell exhaust is captured as condensate, achieving an overall water recovery rate of approximately 90%. The proposed system consists of a 22.75 MW photovoltaic array, a 2.25 MW electrolyzer, 450 kg of hydrogen storage, and a 1 MW fuel cell, and is evaluated using a 25-year hourly-resolution simulation framework. Economic performance is assessed through discounted cash-flow analysis, while environmental impacts are quantified using life-cycle assessment. Results demonstrate that integrating water reuse reduces the levelized cost of electricity from 0.10 to 0.0866 USD/kWh, avoids approximately 157,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent (tCO₂-eq)emissions, and enables the recovery of nearly 400,000 L/day of process water. By explicitly internalizing water-treatment capital and operating costs alongside water-savings benefits within the energy cost formulation, the study presents a generalizable framework linking hydrogen-based energy systems with circular water infrastructure, supporting industrial decarbonization and Sustainable Development Goals related to clean energy, responsible resource use, and climate action.

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