Analysis on the sustainability of different low CO2 emission Hydrogen production technologies for transition towards a ‘zero emission’ economy

Abstract

Abstract World primary energy consumption reached 14,2 mil. tons of oil equivalent. More than 81.7% of this energy was generated from fossil fuels as primary energy source while 74.5% of the electrical energy was generated from fossil fuels. Energy transition towards zero impact from CO2 emission requires a major shift in the energy mix of the primary sources, decarbonization of the electricity generation, and the use of Hydrogen as the alternative low CO2 emission solution for the high temperature industrial process. Low CO2 Hydrogen could be produced using the conventional technologies (steam methane reform i.e.) with Carbon Capture and Storage, from renewable energy sources through water electrolysis or from biogas / biomass. At this moment none of the low CO2 Hydrogen technologies is competitive, as natural gas-based Hydrogen is around 1.5 EUR/kg while renewable based Hydrogen is in the range of 2.5-5.5 EUR/kg. From the sustainability point of view, besides the production cost issue, the whole life cycle emissions need to be considered. The main goal of this article is to assess different low CO2 emission Hydrogen production technologies by analyzing the CO2 emission along the value chain, together with a sensitive analysis on the main cost drivers, evaluating the impact on upstream and downstream economic sectors, based on case study methodology. This article provides the basis for selecting the most sustainable technology, the prerequisites for an energy transition towards a hydrogen-based economy and highlights the critical links between a Low CO2 Hydrogen transition strategy and other energy strategies. The results suggest that access to low-cost renewable electricity will be the most important factor in driving the production cost down, a decentralized onsite production will further reduce the losses and wind based renewable energy is having the lowest CO2 emission across the entire life cycle.