Policy & Socio-Economics

A simulation tool called HYDRA to optimize individual hydrogen infrastructure layouts is presented. The different electrolyzer technologies namely proton exchange membrane electrolysis anion exchange membrane electrolysis alkaline electrolysis and solid oxide electrolysis as well as hydrogen storage possibilities are described in more detail and evaluated. To illustrate the application opportunities of HYDRA three project examples are discussed. The examples include central and decentral applications while taking the usage of hydrogen into account.

Hydrogen is envisioned to become a fundamental energy vector for the decarbonization of energy systems. Two key factors that will define the success of hydrogen are its sustainability and competitiveness with alternative solutions. One of the many challenges for the proliferation of hydrogen is the creation of a sustainable supply chain. In this study a methodology aimed at assessing the economic feasibility of holistic hydrogen supply chains is developed. Based on the designed methodology a tool which calculates the levelized cost of hydrogen for the different stages of its supply chain: production transmission & distribution storage and conversion is proposed. Each stage is evaluated individually combining relevant technical and economic notions such as learning curves and scaling factors. Subsequently the findings from each stage are combined to assess the entire supply chain as a whole. The tool is then applied to evaluate case studies of various supply chains including large-scale remote and small-scale distributed green hydrogen supply chains as well as conventional steam methane reforming coupled with carbon capture and storage technologies. The results show that both green hydrogen supply chains and conventional methods can achieve a competitive LCOH of around €4/kg in 2030. However the key contribution of this study is the development of the tool which provides a foundation for a comprehensive evaluation of hydrogen supply chains that can be continuously improved through the inputs of additional users and further research on one or more of the interconnected stages.

As part of its efforts to secure a ‘net-zero society’ the UK government will take a strategic decision on the role of hydrogen in decarbonising homes within the next years. While scholars have recently advanced the social science research agenda on hydrogen technology acceptance studies are yet to engage with the prospective dynamics of adopting ‘hydrogen homes’. In response this study examines the perceived adoption potential of hydrogen heating and cooking technologies as evaluated through the eyes of consumer. Engaging with behavioural and market acceptance this research draws on data from a broadly nationally representative online survey to examine the influence of safety technological economic environmental and emotional factors on the domestic hydrogen transition in the UK context. The analysis follows a multi-stage empirical approach integrating findings from partial least squares structural equation and necessary condition analysis to crystallise insights on this emergent subject. At this juncture perceived adoption potential may hinge primarily on emotional environmental safety and to a lesser extent technological perspectives. However consumers have an expressed preference for hydrogen heating over hydrogen cooking with perceived boiler performance emerging as a necessary condition for enabling adoption potential. At the formative phase of the transition risks associated with energy insecurity and fuel poverty exceed concerns over purchasing and running costs. Nevertheless economic factors remain less critical during the pre-deployment phase of the innovation-decision process. Across the full sample simple slope analysis highlights the moderating effects of gender age and housing tenure. Moreover statistically significant differences from both a sufficiency- and necessity-based perspective are detected between male property owners aged 55+ and female mortgage owners 18–34 years old. By bridging the knowledge gap between social acceptance and adoption intention this contribution reinforces the need for consumer engagement in the hydrogen economy advocating for more fine-grained mixed-methods analyses of technology acceptance dynamics to support decarbonisation strategies.

Hydrogen will be important in decarbonized energy systems. The primary ways to produce low emission hydrogen are from renewable electricity using electrolyzers called green hydrogen and by reforming natural gas and capturing and storing the CO2 known as blue hydrogen. In this study the degrees to which blue and green hydrogen are complementary or competitive are analyzed through a sensitivity analysis on the electrolyzer costs and natural gas price. This analysis is performed on four bases: what is the cost-effective relative share between blue and green hydrogen deployment how their deployment influences the price of hydrogen how the price of CO2 changes with the deployment of these two technologies and whether infrastructure can economically be shared between these two technologies. The results show that the choice of green and blue hydrogen has a tremendous impact where an early deployment of green leads to higher hydrogen costs and CO2 prices in 2030. Allowing for blue hydrogen thus has notable benefits in 2030 giving cheaper hydrogen with smaller wider socioeconomic impacts. In the long term these competitive aspects disappear and green and blue hydrogen can coexist in the European market without negatively influencing one another.

Low-carbon hydrogen plays a key role in European industrial decarbonization strategies. This work investigates the cost-optimal planning of European low-carbon hydrogen supply chains in the near term (2025–2035) comparing several hydrogen production technologies and considering multiple spatial scales. We focus on mature hydrogen production technologies: steam methane reforming of natural gas biomethane reforming biomass gasification and water electrolysis. The analysis includes carbon capture and storage for natural gas and biomass-derived hydrogen. We formulate and solve a linear optimization model that determines the costoptimal type size and location of hydrogen production and transport technologies in compliance with selected carbon emission targets including the EU fit for 55 target and an ambitious net-zero emissions target for 2035. Existing steam methane reforming capacities are considered and optimal carbon and biomass networks are designed. Findings identify biomass-based hydrogen production as the most cost-efficient hydrogen technology. Carbon capture and storage is installed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions while electrolysis remains costdisadvantageous and is deployed on a limited scale across all considered sensitivity scenarios. Our analysis highlights the importance of spatial resolution revealing that national perspectives underestimate costs by neglecting domestic transport needs and regional resource constraints emphasizing the necessity for highly decarbonized infrastructure designs aligned with renewable resource availabilities.

Green hydrogen is often promoted as a key facilitator for the clean energy transition but its implementation raises concerns around energy justice. This paper examines the socio-political and techno-economic challenges that green hydrogen projects may pose to the three tenets of energy justice: distributive procedural and recognition justice. From a socio-political perspective the risk of neocolonial resource extraction uneven distribution of benefits exclusion of local communities from decision-making and disregard for indigenous rights and cultures threaten all three justice tenets. Techno-economic factors such as water scarcity land disputes and resource-related conflicts in potential production hotspots further jeopardise distributive and recognition justice. The analysis framed by an adapted PEST model reveals that while green hydrogen holds promise for sustainable development its implementation must proactively address these justice challenges. Failure to do so could perpetuate injustices exploitation and marginalisation of vulnerable communities undermining the sustainability goals it aims to achieve. The paper highlights the need for inclusive and equitable approaches that respect local sovereignty integrate diverse stakeholders and ensure fair access and benefit-sharing. Only by centring justice considerations can the transition to green hydrogen catalyse positive social change and realise its full potential as a driver of sustainable energy systems.

Legislation regulating the sustainability requirements for hydrogen technologies relies more and more on life cycle assessments (LCAs). Due to different scopes and development processes different pieces of EU legislation refer to different LCA methodologies with differences in the way multifunctional processes (i.e. co-productions recycling and energy recovery) are treated. These inconsistencies arise because incentive mechanisms are not standardized across sectors even though the end product hydrogen remains the same. The goal of this paper is to compare the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of hydrogen from four production pathways depending on the multifunctional approach prescribed by the different EU policies (e.g. using substitution or allocation). The study reveals a large variation in the LCA results. For instance the life-cycle GHG emissions of hydrogen co-produced with methanol is found to vary from 1 kg CO2-equivalent/kg H2 (when mass allocation is considered) to 11 kg CO2-equivalent/kg H2 (when economic allocation is used). These inconsistencies could affect the market (e.g. hydrogen from a certain pathway could be considered sustainable or unsustainable depending on the approach) and the environment (e.g. pathways that do not lead to a global emission reduction could be promoted). To mitigate these potential negative effects we urge for harmonized and strict guidelines to assess the life-cycle GHG emissions of hydrogen technologies in an EU policy context. Harmonization should cover international policies too to avoid the same risks when hydrogen will be traded based on its GHG emissions. The appropriate methodological approach for each production pathway should be chosen by policymakers in collaboration with the LCA community and stakeholders from the industry based on the potential market and environmental consequences of such choice.

Green hydrogen is a promising alternative to fossil fuels. However current production capacities for electrolyzers and green hydrogen are not in line with national political goals and projected demand. Considering these issues we conducted semi-structured interviews to determine the narratives of different stakeholders during this transformation as well as challenges and opportunities for the green hydrogen value chain. We interviewed eight experts with different roles along the green hydrogen value chain ranging from producers and consumers of green hydrogen to electrolyzer manufacturers and consultants as well as experts from the political sphere. Most experts see the government as necessary for scale-up by setting national capacity targets policy support and providing subsidies. However the experts also accuse the governments of delaying development through overregulation and long implementation times for regulations. The main challenges that were identified are the current lack of renewable electricity and demand for green hydrogen. Demand for green hydrogen is influenced by supply costs which partly depend on prices for electrolyzers. However one key takeaway of the interviews is the skeptical assessments by the experts on the currently discussed estimates for price reduction potential of electrolyzers. While demand supply and prices are all factors that influence each other they result in feedback loops in investment decisions for the energy and manufacturing industries. A second key takeaway is that according to the experts current investment decisions in new production capacities are not solely dependent on short-term financial gains but also based on expected first mover advantages. These include experience and market share which are seen as factors for opportunities for future financial gains. Summarized the results present several challenges and opportunities for green hydrogen and electrolyzers and how to address them effectively. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the emerging green hydrogen value chain.

Electrification of the transportation sector is one of the main drivers in the decarbonization of energy and mobility systems and it is a way to ensure security of energy supply. Public bus fleets can assist in achieving fast reduction of CO2 emissions. This article provides an analysis of a unique real-world dataset to support decision makers in the decarbonization of public fleets and interlink it with the social acceptance of drivers. Data was collected from 21 fuel cell and electric buses. The tank-to-wheel efficiency results of fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) are much lower than that of battery electric buses (BEB) and there is a higher variation in consumption for BEBs compared to FCEBs. Both technologies permit a strong reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional buses. There is a high level of acceptance of drivers which are likely to support the transition towards zero-emission buses introduced by the management.

Green hydrogen is becoming increasingly popular with academics institutions and governments concentrating on its development efficiency improvement and cost reduction. The objective of the Ministry of Petroleum Mines and Energy is to achieve a 35% proportion of renewable energy in the overall energy composition by the year 2030 followed by a 50% commitment by 2050. This goal will be achieved through the implementation of feed-in tariffs and the integration of independent power generators. The present study focused on the economic feasibility of green hydrogen and its production process utilizing renewable energy resources on the northern coast of Mauritania. The current investigation also explored the wind potential along the northern coast of Mauritania spanning over 600 km between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Wind data from masts Lidar stations and satellites at 10 and 80 m heights from 2022 to 2023 were used to assess wind characteristics and evaluate five turbine types for local conditions. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis was carried out at five specific sites encompassing the measures of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and levelized cost of green hydrogen (LCOGH) as well as sensitivity analysis and economic performance indicators. The results showed an annual average wind speed of 7.6 m/s in Nouakchott to 9.8 m/s in Nouadhibou at 80 m. The GOLDWIND 3.0 MW model showed the highest capacity factor of 50.81% due to its low cut-in speed of 2.5 m/s and its rated wind speed of 10.5 to 11 m/s. The NORDEX 4 MW model forecasted an annual production of 21.97 GWh in Nouadhibou and 19.23 GWh in Boulanoir with the LCOE ranging from USD 5.69 to 6.51 cents/kWh below the local electricity tariff and an LCOGH of USD 1.85 to 2.11 US/kg H2 . Multiple economic indicators confirmed the feasibility of wind energy and green hydrogen projects in assessed sites. These results boosted the confidence of the techno-economic model highlighting the resilience of future investments in these sustainable energy infrastructures. Mauritania’s north coast has potential for wind energy aiding green hydrogen production for energy goals.