Subsidizing Grid-Based Electrolytic Hydrogen Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Coal Dominated Power Systems

作者：Liqun Peng, Yang Guo, Shangwei Liu, Gang He, Denise L. Mauzerall · 发表于：Environmental Science & Technology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1021/acs.est.3c03045 · 被引用次数：24 · 研究领域：Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies、Climate Change Policy and Economics、Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Clean hydrogen has the potential to serve as an energy carrier and feedstock in decarbonizing energy systems, especially in “hard-to-abate” sectors. Although many countries have implemented policies to promote electrolytic hydrogen development, the impact of these measures on costs of production and greenhouse gas emissions remains unclear. Our study conducts an integrated analysis of provincial levelized costs and life cycle greenhouse gas emissions for all hydrogen production types in China. We find that subsidies are critical to accelerate low carbon electrolytic hydrogen development. Subsidies on renewable-based hydrogen provide cost-effective carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2e ) emission reductions. However, subsidies on grid-based hydrogen increase CO 2e emissions even compared with coal-based hydrogen because grid electricity in China still relies heavily on coal power and likely will beyond 2030. In fact, CO 2e emissions from grid-based hydrogen may increase further if China continues to approve new coal power plants. The levelized costs of renewable energy-based electrolytic hydrogen vary among provinces. Transporting renewable-based hydrogen through pipelines from low- to high-cost production regions reduces the national average levelized cost of renewables-based hydrogen but may increase the risk of hydrogen leakage and the resulting indirect warming effects. Our findings emphasize that policy and economic support fo...