Assessing the Viability of Renewable Hydrogen, Ammonia, and Methanol in Decarbonizing Heavy-duty Trucks

Decarbonizing heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) is both challenging and crucial for achieving carbon neutrality in the transport sector. Renewable hydrogen (H2), methanol (MeOH), and ammonia (NH3) offer potential solutions, yet their economic viability and emission benefits remain largely unexplored. This study presents, for the first time, a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of using these three renewable fuels to decarbonize HDTs through detailed fuel and vehicle modeling. Six pathways are compared: hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks (FCET-H2), internal combustion engine trucks using MeOH (ICET-MeOH) and NH3 (ICET-NH3), as well as three indirect pathways that utilize these fuels for power generation to charge battery electric trucks (BETs). A novel “target powertrain cost” metric is introduced to assess the economic viability of FCET-H2, ICET-NH3, and ICET-MeOH relative to BETs. The results reveal that while BET pathways demonstrate higher well-to-wheel efficiencies, significant opportunities exist for ICET-MeOH and ICET-NH3 in medium- and long-haul applications. Further more, FCET-H2 achieves the lowest life cycle carbon emissions, while ICET-MeOH and ICET-NH3 become more cost-effective as electricity costs decline. This study offers valuable insights and benchmarks for powertrain developers and policymakers, addressing a critical gap in the comparative analysis of these three fuels for decarbonizing HDTs.