Techno-Economic Optimization of Solar-Based Green Hydrogen Production in Burkina Faso

Green hydrogen is increasingly promoted as a key vector for deep decarbonisation and energy system transformation, particularly in regions endowed with abundant renewable resources. However, its economic viability remains highly context dependent and sensitive to system design and financing conditions. Many green hydrogen projects continue to struggle to reach final investment decision due to high production costs and low electrolyser utilisation, despite rapid growth in announced capacity. This study examines the techno-economic optimisation of solar-based green hydrogen production in Burkina Faso, a solar-rich but infrastructure-constrained West African country. An integrated optimisation framework is developed to minimise the levelized cost of hydrogen by jointly determining photovoltaic capacity, electrolyser size, and hydrogen storage requirements under realistic solar availability and financial assumptions. The analysis explicitly accounts for temporal variability in solar generation and capital-intensive system components. The results show that moderate photovoltaic oversizing relative to electrolyser capacity is economically optimal, as it improves utilisation and reduces hydrogen cost even when some energy curtailment occurs. Electrolyser capital expenditure emerges as the dominant technical cost driver, while financing conditions exert the strongest overall influence on hydrogen cost outcomes. These findings are consistent with recent evidence highlighting the central role of utilisation and cost of capital in green hydrogen economics. Locally grounded, optimisation-based analyses are essential for producing policy-relevant insights in developing economies. By providing a country-specific assessment for Burkina Faso, this study contributes empirical evidence on how solar resource abundance can be translated into cost-effective green hydrogen systems through integrated design and supportive financial frameworks. The results offer practical guidance for policymakers and investors seeking to advance green hydrogen deployment in solar-rich developing regions.