Iceland
Pathways to Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier
Feb 2007
Publication
When hydrogen is used as an alternative energy carrier it is very important to understand the pathway from the primary energy source to the final use of the carrier. This involves for example the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of hydrogen and throughout the lifecycle of a given utilization pathway as well as various energy or exergy1 efficiencies and aspects involved. This paper which is based on a talk given at the Royal Society in London assesses and reviews the various production pathways for hydrogen with emphasis on emissions energy use and energy efficiency. The paper also views some aspects of the breaking of the water molecule and examines some new emerging physical evidence which could pave the way to a new and more feasible pathway.
Link to document download on Royal Society Website
Link to document download on Royal Society Website
A Step towards the Hydrogen Economy—A Life Cycle Cost Analysis of A Hydrogen Refueling Station
May 2017
Publication
This study was aimed to define a methodology based on existing literature and evaluate the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for a decentralized hydrogen refueling station (HRS) in Halle Belgium. The results are based on a comprehensive data collection along with real cost information. The main results indicated that a LCOH of 10.3 €/kg at the HRS can be reached over a lifetime of 20 years if an average electricity cost of 0.04 €/kWh could be achieved and if the operating hours are maximized. Furthermore if the initial capital costs can be reduced by 80% in the case of direct subsidy the LCOH could even fall to 6.7 €/k
Towards a Safe Hydrogen Economy: An Absolute Climate Sustainability Assessment of Hydrogen Production
Jan 2023
Publication
Policymakers and global energy models are increasingly looking towards hydrogen as an enabling energy carrier to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors (projecting growth in hydrogen consumption in the magnitude of hundreds of megatons). Combining scenarios from global energy models and life cycle impacts of different hydrogen production technologies the results of this work show that the life cycle emissions from proposed configurations of the hydrogen economy would lead to climate overshoot of at least 5.4–8.1x of the defined “safe” space for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the cumulative consumption of 8–12% of the remaining carbon budget. This work suggests a need for a science-based definition of “clean” hydrogen agnostic of technology and compatible with a “safe” development of the hydrogen economy. Such a definition would deem blue hydrogen environmentally unviable by 2025–2035. The prolific use of green hydrogen is also problematic however due to the requirement of a significant amount of renewable energy and the associated embedded energy land and material impacts. These results suggest that demand-side solutions should be further considered as the large-scale transition to hydrogen which represents a “clean” energy shift may still not be sufficient to lead humanity into a “safe” space.
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