Current hydrogen production methods and their economic and environmental analysis

Abstract

As global temperatures continue to rise due to the extensive use of fossil energy sources, concerns about the environment continue to deepen. Accelerating the energy transition is a major trend, and countries are continuously increasing the proportion of clean energy in the energy supply. Hydrogen energy is one of the most promising clean energy sources and a hot research topic in various countries. Hydrogen production is a key step in the use of hydrogen energy, this paper focuses on the current mainstream hydrogen production methods including electrolysis of water, solar decomposition of water, biomass hydrogen production, nuclear technology, steam methane reforming, coal gasification, methane pyrolysis, etc. And the economic and environmental benefits of each method. According to studies, the mainstream method of producing hydrogen today involves burning fossil fuels, and more recent methods—like the electrolysis of water—need a lot more testing and development before they can be used extensively. The implementation of CCS or CCUS technology can considerably lower the carbon emissions of the hydrogen production process when it comes to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, but doing so will result in higher energy costs and hydrogen production costs. This paper is expected to support future research directions and help governmental decision-making in the energy transition.