GREEN CITIES: A TWO-STAGE STOCHASTIC APPROACH FOR RENEWABLE-ENERGY INTEGRATION AND GREEN-HYDROGEN STORAGE IN DEVELOPING REGIONS
Yasmany Fernández Fernández, John S. Cortés Pozo, Marco R. Burbano Pulles, Alexis Bolaños Yar
Abstract: This study develops a two-stage stochastic optimization model for planning solar photovoltaic generation, wind generation, electrolysis, green-hydrogen storage, and fuel-cell conversion in representative urban and industrial nodes of Ecuadorian Zone 1. The first stage determines investments in photovoltaic units, wind turbines, electrolyzers, hydrogen storage, and fuel cells before uncertainty is realized. The second stage determines scenario-dependent electricity dispatch, hydrogen production, industrial hydrogen delivery, storage operation, fuel-cell use, renewable curtailment, and unmet demand. Uncertainty is represented through joint variations in solar availability, wind availability, electricity demand, and industrial hydrogen demand across four quarterly periods with 96 operating instances per quarter. The model minimizes annualized investment, operating, and shortage costs. Results indicate that solar and wind generation cover 26–35% of the electricity demand in the represented rural and urban nodes. The integrated configuration produces up to 840,000 kg-H2 per quarter for industrial districts and reduces the aggregate electricity deficit by 15%. Under constrained operating conditions, the shortfall indicator decreases by 94%. Hydrogen storage transfers renewable energy from high-resource periods to periods of lower renewable availability or higher demand. The framework supports low-carbon energy planning in developing regions.
Keywords: Two-stage stochastic programming, Renewable-energy integration, Green hydrogen, Hydrogen storage, Fuel cells, Energy-system planning, Ecuador
DOI: 10.24874/PES08.03A.011
Recieved: 11.06.2026 Revised: 10.09.2026 Accepted: 25.09.2026
UDC:
Reads: 3 
