Cost and environmental impacts considering the entire hydrogen supply chain, focusing on refueling stations for trucks and aircraft

Research Project, 2027 – 2028

Hydrogen offers several benefits as a complement to battery electric solutions and other non-fossil options in the transport sector. Greenhouse gas emissions stem from the energy needed to run different processes and from different material choices and will differ depending on pathways where different types of hydrogen production, distribution, storage, refueling infrastructure can be combined. Recent research has identified that hydrogen, leaked into the atmosphere, although not being a greenhouse gas itself has an indirect global warming impact. Hydrogen can leak at multiple stages, e.g., production systems (electrolysis or steam reforming), compression systems, pipelines, storage tanks, refueling stations, and vehicle tanks. Assuming 30% leakages and a GWP100 of 10 for leaked hydrogen, the total carbon footprint can double for the entire hydrogen supply chain. Thus, the leakage rate and the hydrogen production pathways are key leverages to reach a clear climate benefit from a large-scale transition to a hydrogen economy. The aim of this project is to assess the carbon footprint of, and carry out a techno-economic assessment to compare the costs for, different pathways of the entire hydrogen supply chain, with a special focus on hydrogen infrastructure and refueling stations, for trucks and aircraft, as well as to better understand the impact from hydrogen leakages. The methods to be used are life cycle assessments (LCA) in Open LCA with Ecoinvent databases and techno-economic calculations in e.g. Excel and/or Python. In case our parallel HyLo application to FFI is granted, primary measurement data on hydrogen leakages will be used. A back-up solution is to use data from the literature combined with data collected through interviews. Results are expected to be useful as decision support for industries as well as policy makers, to guide which pathways may have lower cost and lower environmental impact than others. Results can also be valuable guidance when designing refueling stations.