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Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production in the USA

Author

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  • Christoph Falter

    (Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V., Willy-Messerschmitt-Str. 1, 82024 Taufkirchen, Germany
    Current address: Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Avenue 77, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.)

  • Andreas Sizmann

    (Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V., Willy-Messerschmitt-Str. 1, 82024 Taufkirchen, Germany)

Abstract

Hydrogen produced from renewable energy has the potential to decarbonize parts of the transport sector and many other industries. For a sustainable replacement of fossil energy carriers, both the environmental and economic performance of its production are important. Here, the solar thermochemical hydrogen pathway is characterized with a techno-economic and life-cycle analysis. Assuming a further increase of conversion efficiency and a reduction of investment costs, it is found that hydrogen can be produced in the United States of America at costs of 2.1–3.2 EUR/kg (2.4–3.6 USD/kg) at specific greenhouse gas emissions of 1.4 kg CO 2- eq/kg. A geographical potential analysis shows that a maximum of 8.4 × 10 11 kg per year can be produced, which corresponds to about twelve times the current global and about 80 times the current US hydrogen production. The best locations are found in the Southwest of the US, which have a high solar irradiation and short distances to the sea, which is beneficial for access to desalinated water. Unlike for petrochemical products, the transport of hydrogen could potentially present an obstacle in terms of cost and emissions under unfavorable circumstances. Given a large-scale deployment, low-cost transport seems, however, feasible.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Falter & Andreas Sizmann, 2021. "Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production in the USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7804-:d:593228
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Xiangjun Yu & Wenlei Lian & Ke Gao & Zhixing Jiang & Cheng Tian & Nan Sun & Hangbin Zheng & Xinrui Wang & Chao Song & Xianglei Liu, 2022. "Solar Thermochemical CO 2 Splitting Integrated with Supercritical CO 2 Cycle for Efficient Fuel and Power Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Arnob Das & Susmita Datta Peu, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on Recent Advancements in Thermochemical Processes for Clean Hydrogen Production to Decarbonize the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-42, September.
    3. Stéphane Abanades, 2022. "Redox Cycles, Active Materials, and Reactors Applied to Water and Carbon Dioxide Splitting for Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-28, September.

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