IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2023i9p3702-d1132968.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is the Polish Solar-to-Hydrogen Pathway Green? A Carbon Footprint of AEM Electrolysis Hydrogen Based on an LCA

Author

Listed:
  • Artur Pawłowski

    (Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, 40B Nadbystrzycka Str., 20-618 Lublin, Poland)

  • Agnieszka Żelazna

    (Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, 40B Nadbystrzycka Str., 20-618 Lublin, Poland)

  • Jarosław Żak

    (Proste Rozwiązania Jaroslaw Żak, Smugowa 22, 37-433 Bojanów, Poland)

Abstract

Efforts to direct the economies of many countries towards low-carbon economies are being made in order to reduce their impact on global climate change. Within this process, replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen will play an important role in the sectors where electrification is difficult or technically and economically ineffective. Hydrogen may also play a critical role in renewable energy storage processes. Thus, the global hydrogen demand is expected to rise more than five times by 2050, while in the European Union, a seven-fold rise in this field is expected. Apart from many technical and legislative barriers, the environmental impact of hydrogen production is a key issue, especially in the case of new and developing technologies. Focusing on the various pathways of hydrogen production, the essential problem is to evaluate the related emissions through GHG accounting, considering the life cycle of a plant in order to compare the technologies effectively. Anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis is one of the newest technologies in this field, with no LCA studies covering its full operation. Thus, this study is focused on a calculation of the carbon footprint and economic indicators of a green hydrogen plant on the basis of a life cycle assessment, including the concept of a solar-to-hydrogen plant with AEM electrolyzers operating under Polish climate conditions. The authors set the range of the GWP indicators as 2.73–4.34 kgCO 2eq for a plant using AEM electrolysis, which confirmed the relatively low emissivity of hydrogen from solar energy, also in relation to this innovative technology. The economic profitability of the investment depends on external subsidies, because, as developing technology, the AEM electrolysis of green hydrogen from photovoltaics is still uncompetitive in terms of its cost without this type of support.

Suggested Citation

  • Artur Pawłowski & Agnieszka Żelazna & Jarosław Żak, 2023. "Is the Polish Solar-to-Hydrogen Pathway Green? A Carbon Footprint of AEM Electrolysis Hydrogen Based on an LCA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:9:p:3702-:d:1132968
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/9/3702/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/9/3702/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anna Musz-Pomorska & Marcin K. Widomski & Justyna Gołębiowska, 2020. "Financial Sustainability of Selected Rain Water Harvesting Systems for Single-Family House under Conditions of Eastern Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    2. George, Jan Frederick & Müller, Viktor Paul & Winkler, Jenny & Ragwitz, Mario, 2022. "Is blue hydrogen a bridging technology? - The limits of a CO2 price and the role of state-induced price components for green hydrogen production in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    3. Santanu Kumar Dash & Suprava Chakraborty & Devaraj Elangovan, 2023. "A Brief Review of Hydrogen Production Methods and Their Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Velazquez Abad, Anthony & Dodds, Paul E., 2020. "Green hydrogen characterisation initiatives: Definitions, standards, guarantees of origin, and challenges," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Arkadiusz Małek & Agnieszka Dudziak & Jacek Caban & Monika Stoma, 2024. "Strategic Model for Yellow Hydrogen Production Using the Metalog Family of Probability Distributions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-24, May.
    2. Jesús Rey & Francisca Segura & José Manuel Andújar, 2023. "Green Hydrogen: Resources Consumption, Technological Maturity, and Regulatory Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-29, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luciano De Tommasi & Pádraig Lyons, 2022. "Towards the Integration of Flexible Green Hydrogen Demand and Production in Ireland: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-32, December.
    2. Marcin K. Widomski & Anna Musz-Pomorska, 2023. "Sustainable Development of Rural Areas in Poland since 2004 in the Light of Sustainability Indicators," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-29, February.
    3. Michel Noussan & Pier Paolo Raimondi & Rossana Scita & Manfred Hafner, 2020. "The Role of Green and Blue Hydrogen in the Energy Transition—A Technological and Geopolitical Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Jingna Kou & Wei Li & Rui Zhang & Dingxiong Shi, 2023. "Hydrogen as a Transition Tool in a Fossil Fuel Resource Region: Taking China’s Coal Capital Shanxi as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-19, August.
    5. Gordon, Joel A. & Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye & Nabavi, Seyed Ali, 2023. "Price promises, trust deficits and energy justice: Public perceptions of hydrogen homes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    6. Förster, Robert & Kaiser, Matthias & Wenninger, Simon, 2023. "Future vehicle energy supply - sustainable design and operation of hybrid hydrogen and electric microgrids," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    7. Shamal Chandra Karmaker & Andrew Chapman & Kanchan Kumar Sen & Shahadat Hosan & Bidyut Baran Saha, 2022. "Renewable Energy Pathways toward Accelerating Hydrogen Fuel Production: Evidence from Global Hydrogen Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Nihat Ege Sahin & W. J. Pech-Rodríguez & P. C. Meléndez-González & Juan Lopez Hernández & E. Rocha-Rangel, 2023. "Water Splitting as an Alternative for Electrochemical Hydrogen and Oxygen Generation: Current Status, Trends, and Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-25, June.
    9. Davide Clematis & Daria Bellotti & Massimo Rivarolo & Loredana Magistri & Antonio Barbucci, 2023. "Hydrogen Carriers: Scientific Limits and Challenges for the Supply Chain, and Key Factors for Techno-Economic Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-31, August.
    10. Monzur A. Imteaz & Maryam Bayatvarkeshi & Md. Rezaul Karim, 2021. "Developing Generalised Equation for the Calculation of PayBack Period for Rainwater Harvesting Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-11, April.
    11. Jovan, David Jure & Dolanc, Gregor & Pregelj, Boštjan, 2022. "Utilization of excess water accumulation for green hydrogen production in a run-of-river hydropower plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 780-794.
    12. Alessandro Franco & Caterina Giovannini, 2023. "Routes for Hydrogen Introduction in the Industrial Hard-to-Abate Sectors for Promoting Energy Transition," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-23, August.
    13. Schlund, David & Theile, Philipp, 2022. "Simultaneity of green energy and hydrogen production: Analysing the dispatch of a grid-connected electrolyser," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    14. Octávio Alves & Bruno Garcia & Bruna Rijo & Gonçalo Lourinho & Catarina Nobre, 2022. "Market Opportunities in Portugal for the Water-and-Waste Sector Using Sludge Gasification," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.
    15. Lu Wang & Zhijun Jin & Xiao Chen & Yutong Su & Xiaowei Huang, 2023. "The Origin and Occurrence of Natural Hydrogen," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-18, March.
    16. Manal Hamam & Daniela Spina & Roberta Selvaggi & Gabriella Vindigni & Gioacchino Pappalardo & Mario D'Amico & Gaetano Chinnici, 2023. "Financial sustainability in agri-food supply chains: A system approach," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 25(2), pages 135-154.
    17. Anna Król & Monika Gajec & Jadwiga Holewa-Rataj & Ewa Kukulska-Zając & Mateusz Rataj, 2024. "Hydrogen Purification Technologies in the Context of Its Utilization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-38, August.
    18. Evgeny Solomin & Zaid Salah & Konstantin Osintsev & Sergei Aliukov & Sulpan Kuskarbekova & Vladimir Konchakov & Alyona Olinichenko & Alexander Karelin & Tatyana Tarasova, 2023. "Ecological Hydrogen Production and Water Sterilization: An Innovative Approach to the Trigeneration of Renewable Energy Sources for Water Desalination: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-32, August.
    19. Wietschel, Martin & Bekk, Anke & Breitschopf, Barbara & Boie, Inga & Edler, Jakob & Eichhammer, Wolfgang & Klobasa, Marian & Marscheider-Weidemann, Frank & Plötz, Patrick & Sensfuß, Frank & Thorpe, Da, 2020. "Chancen und Herausforderungen beim Import von grünem Wasserstoff und Syntheseprodukten [Opportunities and challenges when importing green hydrogen and synthesis products]," Perspectives – Policy Briefs 03 / 2020 (DE), Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    20. 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).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:9:p:3702-:d:1132968. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.