How should hydrogen production be evaluated from a holistic point of view?

Hydrogen can be produced in various ways. CO₂-neutral green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis and the use of renewable electricity. However, renewable electricity is only available to a limited extent in Europe. In addition, increasing electrification ensures that electricity demand will rise in the coming years. Nevertheless, hydrogen from electrolyzers can be used to support the energy system, for example, as seasonal electricity storage. Like gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen is produced by steam reforming. However, in contrast to gray hydrogen, the resulting CO₂ emissions are captured and stored using CCS (carbon capture and storage) technology. The FfE examines the use of hydrogen from different production variants from an overall system perspective. The methods of energy system analysis and life cycle assessment help evaluate the benefits and risks of the use of hydrogen in Germany and Europe.

Specifically, we look at the following questions:

• According to which criteria and by which methods can different hydrogen carriers be evaluated?
• What role does blue hydrogen play as a bridging technology?
• How do the life cycle assessments of different hydrogen production processes compare to one another?
• What repercussions could the large-scale use of hydrogen have on the energy system?