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Assessing Uncertainties of Well-To-Tank Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydrogen Supply Chains

Author

Listed:
  • Akito Ozawa

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

  • Mai Inoue

    (Leave a Nest Co., Ltd., Tokyo Head Office Institute of Innovation & Knowledge (I2K), 4F/5F Iidabashi-Miyuki Bldg 1-4 Shimomiyabi-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0822, Japan)

  • Naomi Kitagawa

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

  • Ryoji Muramatsu

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

  • Yurie Anzai

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

  • Yutaka Genchi

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

  • Yuki Kudoh

    (Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan)

Abstract

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier in the clean energy systems currently being developed. However, its effectiveness in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions requires conducting a lifecycle analysis of the process by which hydrogen is produced and supplied. This study focuses on the hydrogen for the transport sector, in particular renewable hydrogen that is produced from wind- or solar PV-powered electrolysis. A life cycle inventory analysis is conducted to evaluate the Well-to-Tank (WtT) GHG emissions from various renewable hydrogen supply chains. The stages of the supply chains include hydrogen being produced overseas, converted into a transportable hydrogen carrier (liquid hydrogen or methylcyclohexane), imported to Japan by sea, distributed to hydrogen filling stations, restored from the hydrogen carrier to hydrogen and filled into fuel cell vehicles. For comparison, an analysis is also carried out with hydrogen produced by steam reforming of natural gas. Foreground data related to the hydrogen supply chains are collected by literature surveys and the Japanese life cycle inventory database is used as the background data. The analysis results indicate that some of renewable hydrogen supply chains using liquid hydrogen exhibited significantly lower WtT GHG emissions than those of a supply chain of hydrogen produced by reforming of natural gas. A significant piece of the work is to consider the impacts of variations in the energy and material inputs by performing a probabilistic uncertainty analysis. This suggests that the production of renewable hydrogen, its liquefaction, the dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane and the compression of hydrogen at the filling station are the GHG-intensive stages in the target supply chains.

Suggested Citation

  • Akito Ozawa & Mai Inoue & Naomi Kitagawa & Ryoji Muramatsu & Yurie Anzai & Yutaka Genchi & Yuki Kudoh, 2017. "Assessing Uncertainties of Well-To-Tank Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydrogen Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-26, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1101-:d:102441
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mehrshad Kolahchian Tabrizi & Jacopo Famiglietti & Davide Bonalumi & Stefano Campanari, 2023. "The Carbon Footprint of Hydrogen Produced with State-of-the-Art Photovoltaic Electricity Using Life-Cycle Assessment Methodology," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-25, July.
    2. White, Lee V. & Fazeli, Reza & Cheng, Wenting & Aisbett, Emma & Beck, Fiona J. & Baldwin, Kenneth G.H. & Howarth, Penelope & O’Neill, Lily, 2021. "Towards emissions certification systems for international trade in hydrogen: The policy challenge of defining boundaries for emissions accounting," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 215(PA).
    3. Vladimír Konečný & Jozef Gnap & Tomáš Settey & František Petro & Tomáš Skrúcaný & Tomasz Figlus, 2020. "Environmental Sustainability of the Vehicle Fleet Change in Public City Transport of Selected City in Central Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Hong, Sanghyun & Kim, Eunsung & Jeong, Saerok, 2023. "Evaluating the sustainability of the hydrogen economy using multi-criteria decision-making analysis in Korea," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 485-492.
    5. Akito Ozawa & Yuki Kudoh, 2021. "Assessing Uncertainties of Life-Cycle CO 2 Emissions Using Hydrogen Energy for Power Generation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, October.
    6. Sungmi Bae & Eunhan Lee & Jinil Han, 2020. "Multi-Period Planning of Hydrogen Supply Network for Refuelling Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles in Urban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-23, May.
    7. Christina Wulf & Martin Kaltschmitt, 2018. "Hydrogen Supply Chains for Mobility—Environmental and Economic Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-26, May.
    8. Wenyi Du & Yubing Fan & Lina Yan, 2018. "Pricing Strategies for Competitive Water Supply Chains under Different Power Structures: An Application to the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-13, August.
    9. José Carlos Curvelo Santana & Pedro Gerber Machado & Cláudio Augusto Oller do Nascimento & Celma de Oliveira Ribeiro, 2023. "Economic and Environmental Assessment of Hydrogen Production from Brazilian Energy Grid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-21, April.
    10. Park, Gye Hyun & Hong, Sanghyun & Percy, Steven & Kim, Seung Wan, 2025. "Techno-economic feasibility study of imported green hydrogen via inter-continental route: From Australia to South Korea," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 397(C).
    11. Matsuo, Yuhji & Endo, Seiya & Nagatomi, Yu & Shibata, Yoshiaki & Komiyama, Ryoichi & Fujii, Yasumasa, 2018. "A quantitative analysis of Japan's optimal power generation mix in 2050 and the role of CO2-free hydrogen," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PB), pages 1200-1219.

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