Future hydrogen economies imply environmental trade-offs and a supply-demand mismatch
In: Nature Communications. Nature Publishing Group: London. ISSN 2041-1723; e-ISSN 2041-1723, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Terlouw, T.
- Rosa, L.
- Bauer, C.
- McKenna, R.
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| Abstract |
Hydrogen will play a key role in decarbonizing economies. Here, we quantify the costs and environmental impacts of possible large-scale hydrogen economies, using four prospective hydrogen demand scenarios for 2050 ranging from 111–614 megatonne H2 year−1. Our findings confirm that renewable (solar photovoltaic and wind) electrolytic hydrogen production generates at least 50–90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than fossil-fuel-based counterparts without carbon capture and storage. However, electrolytic hydrogen production could still result in considerable environmental burdens, which requires reassessing the concept of green hydrogen. Our global analysis highlights a few salient points: (i) a mismatch between economical hydrogen production and hydrogen demand across continents seems likely; (ii) region-specific limitations are inevitable since possibly more than 60% of large hydrogen production potentials are concentrated in water-scarce regions; and (iii) upscaling electrolytic hydrogen production could be limited by renewable power generation and natural resource potentials. |
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