Can remote green hydrogen production play a key role in decarbonizing Europe in the future? A cradle-to-gate LCA of hydrogen production in Austria, Belgium, and Iceland

Abstract

Hydrogen can play a key role in decarbonizing industrial and transportation processes. As the European demand for hydrogen rises, several EU member states have been looking into ways to import remotely-produced hydrogen (H2) to fulfill their local needs. This cradle-to-gate LCA study assesses the H2 production in Iceland using local renewable energy sources, including the transport to potential gates in Austria and Belgium and compares it with locally produced H2 at the European sites. Our results indicate that the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of H2 production depends primarily on the energy mix, while transportation of H2 generates a minor impact. Furthermore, in its current state, H2 production in Iceland through Polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis (PEM-EC) yields over 13- and 21 times lower GHG emissions compared respectively to Austria and Belgium. Based on these results, we conclude that remotely produced hydrogen can play an important part in decarbonizing European carbon-intensive industries.