Feasibility Assessment of Integrating a Medical Oxygen Recovery System into an Existing Hydrogen Electrolysis Station: Case Study of An Algerian combined‑cycle power plant

This paper presents a modelling and simulation study for recovering high‑purity medical oxygen as a by‑product of hydrogen production at the SONELGAZ Ras‑Djinet combined‑cycle power plant. The study develops a thermodynamic process model in Aspen HYSYS, validated against the plant data and operating assumptions from the Ras‑Djinet H2 station. Key unit operations gasometer buffering, KOH scrubbing, cooling, high‑pressure compression and cylinder filling are represented in the model. Parametric simulations assess oxygen purity, mass flow, compressor duty and cooler loads for typical operating scenarios. Results indicate that recovered oxygen can reach medical‑grade purity (~ 99.5% O₂) after KOH scrubbing and appropriate cooling/compression, while maintaining stable filling rates compatible with hospital supply needs. A techno‑economic sensitivity analysis shows that, for the Ras‑Djinet case, onsite recovery using existing electrolyzer infrastructure can be competitive with purchased cryogenic oxygen under certain electricity price and utilization assumptions. The paper concludes with recommendations for pilot deployment, safety considerations (ATEX, material compatibility) and further work to integrate renewable electricity and advanced PSA polishing.