Comparative techno-environmental analysis of grey, blue, green/yellow and pale-blue hydrogen production
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Authors | Giorgio Antonini Koami S. Hayibo Md Motakabbir Rahman Sara Khan Wei Tian Michael S.H. Boutilier Wei Zhang Ying Zheng Amarjeet Bassi Joshua M. Pearce Riya Roy |
| Location | London, ON, Canada |
| Status | Designed Modelled Prototyped Verified |
| Verified by | FAST |
| Years | |
| Uses | renewable energy |
Hydrogen holds immense potential to assist in the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources, but its environmental impact depends on how it is produced. This study introduces the pale-blue hydrogen production method, which is a hybrid approach, utilizing both carbon capture and bioenergy inputs. Comparative life cycle analysis is shown for grey, blue, green and pale-blue hydrogen using cumulative energy demand, carbon footprint (CF), and water footprint. Additionally, the integration of solar-powered production methods (ground-based photovoltaic and floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems) is examined. The results showed blue hydrogen [steam methane reforming (SMR) + 56% carbon capture storage (CCS)] was 72% less, green hydrogen gas membrane (GM) 75% less, blue hydrogen [SMR+90%CCS] 88% less, and green hydrogen FPV have 90% less CF compared to grey hydrogen. Pale-blue hydrogen [50%B-50%G], blue hydrogen (GM + plasma reactor(PR)) PV and blue hydrogen (GM + PR) FPV offset 26, 48 and 52 times the emissions of grey hydrogen.
Highlights
[edit | edit source]- Life cycle analysis: reduced CO2 footprint of pale-blue, blue, and green H2 vs. grey H2.
- Pale-blue H2 combines solar power, water electrolysis, carbon capture, and bioenergy.
- Pale-blue and blue (gas membrane + plasma reactor) H2 offsets 26-48X grey H2 emissions.
- Pale-blue H2 consumes 81.8% lower energy than grey H2, with a CED of 16.6 kWh/kg H2.
- FPV powered green H2 has the lowest CED at 1.08 kWh per kg H2.
See also
[edit | edit source]- Open-Source DC-DC Converter Enabling Direct Integration of Solar Photovoltaics with Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer for Green Hydrogen Production
- Open-source Hardware Design of Modular Solar DC Nanogrid
- Modular Open Source Solar Photovoltaic-Powered DC Nanogrids with Efficient Energy Management System
- Experimental integration of a foam-based floating photovoltaic (floatovoltaic) system with an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer for 5 kW-Scale green hydrogen production
- Literature review: LCA of different types of hydrogen production
| Authors | Joshua M. Pearce |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | FAST, Western |
| Cite as | Joshua M. Pearce (2025). "Comparative techno-environmental analysis of grey, blue, green/yellow and pale-blue hydrogen production". Appropedia. Retrieved July 11, 2026. |