Identify Parameters Hindering Renewable Hydrogen Production in France: Life Cycle Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis

¹ China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Hongshan, 430074 Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
² Centre Observation, Impacts, Energie (O.I.E.), MINES ParisTech, PSL University, 1 Rue Claude Daunesse CS 10207, 06904 Sophia Antipolis CEDEX, France
³ State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Hongshan, 430074 Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
⁴ Department of New Energy Science and Technology, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1037 Luoyu Road, Hongshan, 430074 Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
⁵ John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, 02138 Cambridge MA, USA

^* Corresponding author: zy97science@hust.edu.cn

Abstract

Flourishing green hydrogen economy worldwide serves as a pillar for global energy transition and carbon-neutral targets. However, rare researches on the environmental impact of green hydrogen production have focused on national average resource availability and technology market share. Nor a detailed and holistic sensitivity and uncertainty analysis regarding both foreground and background parameters in the green hydrogen production life cycle could be found. To fill these gaps, we present this study as a comprehensive environmental impact investigation of renewable-electricity-based water electrolysis H₂ production in France, in terms of average resource availability and technology market share in France in 2019. Water electrolysis H₂ production with average French wind electricity through proton exchange membrane electrolysis unit was identified as the most environmentally-beneficial option among all pathways studied. By building the corresponding French national benchmark parametric life cycle model, the key parameters that determine the environmental impact of green hydrogen in France were revealed. Under current French context, environmental impact’s uncertainty for solar-to-H₂ and wind-to-H₂ pathways is between 19%-26% and 8%-11%, respectively. Based on the unit process contribution investigation and further scenario analyses, we propose the guidelines and suggestions on improving life cycle renewability and sustainability to French green H₂ production.