Greenhouse Gas Reduction Potential and Economics of Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis: A Systematic Review of Value-Chain-Wide Decarbonization

Lifeng Du (), Yanmei Yang, Luli Zhou and Min Liu
Additional contact information
Lifeng Du: Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
Yanmei Yang: China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing 100191, China
Luli Zhou: China National Institute of Standardization, Beijing 100191, China
Min Liu: State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co Electric Power Research Institute, Hangzhou 310014, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-37

Abstract: Green hydrogen generated via water electrolysis has become an essential energy carrier for achieving carbon neutrality globally because of its versatility in renewable energy consumption and decarbonization applications in hard-to-abate sectors; however, there is a lack of systematic analyses of its abatement potential and economics as an alternative to traditional technological decarbonization pathways. Based on bibliometric analysis and systematic evaluation methods, this study characterizes and analyzes the literature on the Web of Science from 1996 to 2023, identifying research hotspots, methodological models, and research trends in green hydrogen for mitigating climate change across total value chain systems. Our review shows that this research theme has entered a rapid development phase since 2016, with developed countries possessing more scientific results and closer partnerships. Difficult-to-abate sectoral applications and cleaner production are the most famous value chain links, and research hotspots focus on three major influencing factors: the environment; techno-economics; and energy. Green hydrogen applications, which include carbon avoidance and embedding to realize carbon recycling, have considerable carbon reduction potential; however, uncertainty limits the influence of carbon reduction cost assessment indicators based on financial analysis methods for policy guidance. The abatement costs in the decarbonization sector vary widely across value chains, electricity sources, baseline scenarios, technology mixes, and time scenarios. This review shows that thematic research trends are focused on improving and optimizing solutions to uncertainties, as well as studying multisectoral synergies and the application of abatement assessment metrics.

Keywords: green hydrogen; full value chain systems; climate change mitigation; carbon reduction potential; carbon abatement costs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4602/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4602/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4602-:d:1404349

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().