C11 - Large Stranded Renewable Energy: Alternatives to Electricity for Transmission and Low-cost Firming Storage as Pipelined Hydrogen and Ammonia Carbon-free Fuels

Our urgent goal, near-total de-carbonization and de-GHG-emission of the entire human enterprise, will require so much CO2-emission-free energy that electricity Grid expansion will be technically and economically inferior to complete off-Grid energy systems based on gathering, transmission, and distribution via the carbon-free fuels -- hydrogen (H2) and anhydrous ammonia (NH3) -- in underground pipeline networks with annual-scale firming storage at < $ 1.00 / kWh CAPEX. Wind turbines operating in Self-Excited-Induction-Generator (SEIG) mode and DC PV strings will feed simplified electrolysis plants optimized for "wild DC" input(s). Where both resources are rich, wind and PV may be co-located for off-Grid synergistic co-generation of high-purity hydrogen fuel, for underground gaseous hydrogen (GH2) pipeline gathering, transmission, and distribution -- for "green" transportation and CHP fuel and for industrial feedstocks. Pipeline systems will be a combination of repurposed extant oil & gas pipelines and new builds. We should start linepipe design and manufacturing R&D and system planning now; pipeline construction by 2026. These optimized wind+PV plants will consolidate all controls in a single SCADA system for improved reliability, higher efficiency, lower OPEX and plant-gate H2 cost. Attempting Grid supply of 2050 total H2 demand will be technically and economically suboptimal.