Life Cycle Global Warming Impact of Long-Distance Liquid Hydrogen Transport from Africa to Germany

Olga Kanz; Karsten Bittkau; Kaining Ding; Uwe Rau; Angèle Reinders

doi:10.3390/hydrogen4040048

Life Cycle Global Warming Impact of Long-Distance Liquid Hydrogen Transport from Africa to Germany

Olga Kanz (Corresponding author), Karsten Bittkau, Kaining Ding, Uwe Rau, Angèle Reinders

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

The global interest in hydrogen as an energy carrier is steadily increasing. In this study, multiple scenarios of liquid hydrogen exports from Africa to Germany are analyzed by life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the global warming potential (GWP) of 1 kg hydrogen. The investigation is driven by the promise that hydrogen can be sustainably and economically produced by photovoltaic (PV)-powered electrolysis in Africa, benefiting from the geographical location near the equator and, consequently, higher solar irradiation levels. Given the absence of a pipeline network, shipping hydrogen emerges as the most efficient short-term transportation option to Germany. In this paper, supply locations—Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria—are evaluated by means of an LCA and compared to hydrogen supply from Germany. Results show that emissions from hydrogen production and transportation by ship from Morocco range from 3.32 to 3.41 kgCO₂-eq/kgH₂. From Senegal, the range is 3.88 to 3.99 kgCO₂eq/kgH₂, and from Nigeria, it falls between 4.38 and 4.27 kgCO_2-eq/kgH₂. These emission levels are influenced by factors such as the GWP of PV electricity, the efficiency of the electrolyzer, and the transportation distance. Interestingly, the analysis reveals that PV-powered electrolysis of hydrogen in Germany, including 300 km distribution, causes, in most scenarios, a lower GWP in the range of 3.48 to 3.61 kgCO_2-eq/kgH₂ than hydrogen from the analyzed African regions. Opting for grid electricity instead of PV (with a value of 0.420 kgCO₂-eq/kWh) for hydrogen production in Germany yields a GWP ranging from 24.35 to 25.42 kgCO_2-eq/kgH₂. Hence, we can conclude that in any event, PV-powered hydrogen electrolysis has a low environmental impact not only within Africa but also in Germany. However, it is crucial to carefully consider the balance of the GWP of production versus transportation given the distance between a hydrogen production site and the location of consumption.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	760-775
Number of pages	16
Journal	Hydrogen
Volume	4
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrogen4040048
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.

Funding

This research was funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research in the framework of the project “YESPV-NIGBEN”, grant number: 03SF0576A.

Funders	Funder number
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	03SF0576A

Keywords

global warming potential
hydrogen
hydrogen liquefaction
hydrogen transportation
import of hydrogen

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/hydrogen4040048

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Cite this

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title = "Life Cycle Global Warming Impact of Long-Distance Liquid Hydrogen Transport from Africa to Germany",

abstract = "The global interest in hydrogen as an energy carrier is steadily increasing. In this study, multiple scenarios of liquid hydrogen exports from Africa to Germany are analyzed by life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the global warming potential (GWP) of 1 kg hydrogen. The investigation is driven by the promise that hydrogen can be sustainably and economically produced by photovoltaic (PV)-powered electrolysis in Africa, benefiting from the geographical location near the equator and, consequently, higher solar irradiation levels. Given the absence of a pipeline network, shipping hydrogen emerges as the most efficient short-term transportation option to Germany. In this paper, supply locations—Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria—are evaluated by means of an LCA and compared to hydrogen supply from Germany. Results show that emissions from hydrogen production and transportation by ship from Morocco range from 3.32 to 3.41 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. From Senegal, the range is 3.88 to 3.99 kgCO2eq/kgH2, and from Nigeria, it falls between 4.38 and 4.27 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. These emission levels are influenced by factors such as the GWP of PV electricity, the efficiency of the electrolyzer, and the transportation distance. Interestingly, the analysis reveals that PV-powered electrolysis of hydrogen in Germany, including 300 km distribution, causes, in most scenarios, a lower GWP in the range of 3.48 to 3.61 kgCO2-eq/kgH2 than hydrogen from the analyzed African regions. Opting for grid electricity instead of PV (with a value of 0.420 kgCO2-eq/kWh) for hydrogen production in Germany yields a GWP ranging from 24.35 to 25.42 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. Hence, we can conclude that in any event, PV-powered hydrogen electrolysis has a low environmental impact not only within Africa but also in Germany. However, it is crucial to carefully consider the balance of the GWP of production versus transportation given the distance between a hydrogen production site and the location of consumption.",

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AB - The global interest in hydrogen as an energy carrier is steadily increasing. In this study, multiple scenarios of liquid hydrogen exports from Africa to Germany are analyzed by life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the global warming potential (GWP) of 1 kg hydrogen. The investigation is driven by the promise that hydrogen can be sustainably and economically produced by photovoltaic (PV)-powered electrolysis in Africa, benefiting from the geographical location near the equator and, consequently, higher solar irradiation levels. Given the absence of a pipeline network, shipping hydrogen emerges as the most efficient short-term transportation option to Germany. In this paper, supply locations—Morocco, Senegal, and Nigeria—are evaluated by means of an LCA and compared to hydrogen supply from Germany. Results show that emissions from hydrogen production and transportation by ship from Morocco range from 3.32 to 3.41 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. From Senegal, the range is 3.88 to 3.99 kgCO2eq/kgH2, and from Nigeria, it falls between 4.38 and 4.27 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. These emission levels are influenced by factors such as the GWP of PV electricity, the efficiency of the electrolyzer, and the transportation distance. Interestingly, the analysis reveals that PV-powered electrolysis of hydrogen in Germany, including 300 km distribution, causes, in most scenarios, a lower GWP in the range of 3.48 to 3.61 kgCO2-eq/kgH2 than hydrogen from the analyzed African regions. Opting for grid electricity instead of PV (with a value of 0.420 kgCO2-eq/kWh) for hydrogen production in Germany yields a GWP ranging from 24.35 to 25.42 kgCO2-eq/kgH2. Hence, we can conclude that in any event, PV-powered hydrogen electrolysis has a low environmental impact not only within Africa but also in Germany. However, it is crucial to carefully consider the balance of the GWP of production versus transportation given the distance between a hydrogen production site and the location of consumption.

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KW - hydrogen transportation

KW - import of hydrogen

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ER -

Life Cycle Global Warming Impact of Long-Distance Liquid Hydrogen Transport from Africa to Germany

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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