article · Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Energy and Environment
Hydrogen offers an appealing route for decarbonisation because its reaction with oxygen produces only water. It carries a higher energy content per unit of weight than fossil fuels, with one kilogram of hydrogen matching 2.4 kilograms of methane or 2.8 kilograms of gasoline. However, storing equivalent energy requires substantially larger volumes, as liquid hydrogen possesses a much lower volumetric energy density than petrol. Favourable renewable electricity costs, such as low wind power prices, can make hydrogen production substantially cheaper than fossil alternatives. To evaluate its broader environmental impact, life cycle assessment examines the entire value chain across production, storage, and utilisation. Assessing blue, green, and purple hydrogen pathways through inventory data and impact case studies provides comparative evidence on energy consumption and emissions. This analysis helps identify sustainability trade-offs and informs strategic decisions for developing low-carbon hydrogen systems.
Evaluating hydrogen from production to end use ensures that adopting it genuinely reduces environmental harm. While hydrogen releases no carbon when used, different manufacturing methods carry distinct ecological footprints. Standardised life cycle assessments enable policymakers, industry planners, and energy developers to compare diverse production pathways objectively, ensuring investments align with realistic sustainability and decarbonisation targets.
The findings assist energy planners, industrial project developers, and technology transfer officers who need to benchmark green, blue, and purple hydrogen pathways against conventional fuels. Because this work constitutes a review of life cycle assessment methodologies and published case studies rather than a validated physical product, it serves primarily as an analytical decision-making framework at an early planning stage rather than a market-ready operational technology.
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Abstract In the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, hydrogen emerges as a promising candidate for decarbonization. The United States has the potential to sell wind energy at a record‐low price of 2.5 cents/kWh, making hydrogen production electricity up to four times cheaper than natural gas. Hydrogen's appeal stems from its highly exothermic reaction with oxygen, producing only water as a byproduct. With an energy content equivalent to 2.4 kg of methane or 2.8 kg of gasoline per kilogram, hydrogen boasts a superior energy‐to‐weight ratio compared to fossil fuels. However, its energy‐to‐volume ratio, exemplified by liquid hydrogen's 8.5 MJ.L −1 versus gasoline's 32.6 MJ.L −1 , presents a challenge, requiring a larger volume for equivalent energy. In addition, this review employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate hydrogen's full life cycle, including production, storage, and utilization. Through an examination of LCA methodologies and principles, the review underscores its importance in measuring hydrogen's environmental sustainability and energy consumption. Key findings reveal diverse hydrogen production pathways, such as blue, green, and purple hydrogen, offering a nuanced understanding of their life cycle inventories. The impact assessment of hydrogen production is explored, supported by case studies illustrating environmental implications. Comparative LCA analysis across different pathways provides crucial insights for decision‐making, shaping environmental and sustainability considerations. Ultimately, the review emphasizes LCA's pivotal role in guiding the hydrogen economy toward a low‐carbon future, positioning hydrogen as a versatile energy carrier with significant potential. This article is categorized under: Emerging Technologies > Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
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DOI: 10.1002/wene.526
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