Hydrogen fueled maintenance fleet
We recently had a query from a landlord looking to reduce emissions from their maintenance fleet (DLO). They requested a comparison of the emissions produced by travelling 12,000 miles in an average van of different fuel types, including hydrogen.
As with electric vehicles (EVs), vans using hydrogen fuel cells (FCEVs) will have 0 direct tailpipe emissions. However, there are indirect emissions resulting from the production of hydrogen. So, as with EVs, using FCEV vans would still contribute to your Scope 2 and 3 carbon emissions.
How is hydrogen fuel produced?
There are several processes. However, the predominant method, Natural Gas Reforming, uses high temperature conditions where steam reacts with methane to produce hydrogen gas (H2) [1]. This also produces carbon dioxide.
The other main method of producing hydrogen is via Electrolysis, which is the process of separating water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity [2]. Provided renewable energy is used, this can be a carbon free form of production. However, in 2021 only a small proportion (~4%) of global hydrogen production was via Electrolysis [3].
Comparison of hydrogen FCEV vans to other fuel types
When we calculate emissions from in-house maintenance activities for social landlords, we use the Defra carbon conversion factors for “average” vans of different fuel types. However, Defra do not currently publish conversion factors for hydrogen FCEVs. So, we did a little digging and found emission intensities reported by The International Energy Agency (IEA) [4].
Using unabated fossil fuels (such as natural gas) to produce hydrogen results in emissions of up to 27 kgCO2e/per kg H2. The average emissions resulting from hydrogen production in 2021 was 12.5 kgCO2e/per kg H2. The emissions produced can vary widely depending on the type of hydrogen production. However, given the limited infrastructure for hydrogen refuelling in the UK, and the fact most production uses fossil fuels, we used both the upper emissions estimate and 2021 average in our comparison to traditional fuel types and EV vans. Here are the results:
Table 1 Comparison of emissions (kgCO2e) for an “average” van of different fuel types travelling 12,000 miles annually. This includes Scopes 1,2, and 3 where appropriate.
Using the average intensity for hydrogen emissions in 2021, our calculations suggest that currently FCEVs emit more CO2e than EV or hybrid vans, but slightly less than petrol and diesel. This is based on the purported milage per kg H2 for a single new FCEV van model [5], so results may vary depending on the current maintenance fleet versus different hydrogen fuel-based models.
This analysis focuses solely on greenhouse gas emissions. Other factors to consider include the environmental impact of mining materials needed for batteries, such as lithium [6]. Despite this, cost is a major factor for the lack of hydrogen FCEV development compared to EVs, with hydrogen vehicles being more expensive to buy and run [7]. At the time of writing, government support and potential funding for businesses transitioning to zero-emission vehicles strongly favours EVs [8]. Additionally, the UK hydrogen strategy will likely focus on HGVs, but does reference the potential for hydrogen to favour fleets of lighter duty vehicles in some cases [9].
If you would like the CO2 emissions of your fleet calculated, please be in touch on [email protected]. Naturally we can do carbon footprints for all of your organisation and develop bespoke CO2 reduction plans.
[1] https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-natural-gas-reforming
[2] https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-electrolysis
[3] https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Technology/Hydrogen
[6] https://earth.org/environmental-impact-of-battery-production/
[8] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/120-million-to-roll-out-more-electric-vans-taxis-and-motorbikes
[9] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-strategy-update-to-the-market-december-2024
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