Ways to assess hydrogen production via life cycle analysis

As global energy demand increases and reliance on fossil fuels becomes unsustainable, hydrogen presents a promising clean energy alternative due to its high energy density and potential for significant CO₂ emission reductions. However, current hydrogen production methods largely depend on fossil fuels, contributing to considerable CO₂ emissions and underscoring the need to transition to renewable energy sources and improved production technologies. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is essential for evaluating and optimizing hydrogen production by assessing environmental impacts such as Global Warming Potential (GWP), energy consumption, toxicity, and water usage. The key findings indicate that energy sources and feedstocks heavily influence the environmental impacts of hydrogen production. Hydrogen production from renewable energy sources, particularly wind, solar, and hydropower, demonstrates significantly lower environmental impacts than grid electricity and fossil fuel-based methods. Conversely, hydrogen production from grid electricity primarily derived from fossil fuels shows a high GWP. Furthermore, challenges related to data accuracy, economic analysis integration, and measuring mixed gases are discussed. Future research should focus on improving data accuracy, assessing the impact of technological advancements, and exploring new hydrogen production methods. Harmonizing assessment methodologies across different production pathways and standardizing functional units, such as “1 kg of hydrogen produced, “ are critical for enabling transparent and consistent sustainability evaluations. Techniques such as stochastic modelling and Monte Carlo simulations can improve uncertainty management and enhance the reliability of LCA results.