Life cycle environmental and economic assessments of industry-level hydrogen production technologies

Hydrogen energy is pivotal for global decarbonization due to its high energy density and potential to achieve carbon neutrality. This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of five hydrogen production technologies in China: methanol steam reforming (MSR), steam methane reforming (SMR), coke oven gas reforming (COG), coal gasification (CGH), and renewable energy water electrolysis (REWE). Based on comprehensive industry data, the LCA results show that REWE emits only 465 kg CO₂ eq per ton of hydrogen but underperforms in terms of photochemical ozone formation potential and resource consumption. LCC and net present value (NPV) analyses indicate COG has the lowest cost (USD 1220/ton), while CGH break evens within 1–2 years. Scenario analyses aligned with China's “dual carbon” goals project that hydrogen demand will reach 100 million tons by 2060, with renewable hydrogen accounting for 70–80 % of the supply. This pathway could reduce the global warming potential to 23.9 % of the 2020 levels and lower green hydrogen costs by 71.5 %, despite a 392 % increase in energy consumption. This study provides an industry-level benchmarking framework to support technology selection and sustainable hydrogen planning.