• energy transition
• heat recovery
• hydrogen
• hydrogen refuelling stations
• proton exchange membrane electrolyser

Fighting climate change requires a profound energy transition and hydrogen can play a crucial role in it. Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysers, is important, driving research to make it more economically competitive. This thesis contributes to this research by studying excess heat recovery from PEM electrolysers. The present study investigates the potential use of this heat within Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS), which are key in facilitating cleaner transportation alternatives.
Specifically, the thesis proposes using the excess heat produced by the electrolyser to power an absorption chiller. This chiller would meet the hydrogen refrigeration requirements during its post-production compression and help the pre-dispensing cooling phase, thereby reducing the electrical energy needs of both the compressor and the pre-cooling unit (PCU). The model, developed under steady-state conditions using the Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software, explores the compatibility of the absorption chiller within the system. Then a comparison of energy consumption with traditional systems across different climatic scenarios was conducted, enhancing the robustness and consistency of the study. It is noted that absorption chillers show reduced sensitivity to ambient temperature fluctuations throughout the year, offering a more stable and efficient cooling solution compared to conventional refrigeration units or direct air-cooling methods.