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Green hydrogen: Powering the future of passenger and freight transportation
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U-M researchers computed the total system energy efficiency of using green hydrogen directly, or indirectly in e-fuels, to power planes, trains, automobiles and ships. They found that the system inefficiencies during hydrogen or e-fuel production, storage, transportation, dispensing and use leads to about 80-90% energy loss of the initial electrical input. By contrast, electric-powered transport is about three to eight times more efficient than using hydrogen directly or in e-fuels. Image credit: Stephen Alvey and Joaquim Martins
Contact: Morgan Sherburne
A new study led by researchers in the Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS) at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) shows that green hydrogen is emerging as an important potential solution for decarbonizing transportation. Still, new energy efficiency findings indicate that it should be used strategically in heavy-duty road, rail, aviation and marine transportation.
“We have an urgency to decarbonize transportation, given the adverse impacts we are seeing from climate change, which are only going to intensify,” said SEAS Professor Greg Keoleian, a senior author of the paper and co-director of U-M’s MI Hydrogen initiative. “We examine where hydrogen can play a role by looking at the energetics to help guide deployment along with other factors such as cost, fueling time, range and safety.”
The study was conducted as part of U-M’s MI Hydrogen initiative. The initiative aims to foster collaboration among U-M researchers, community groups, government and industry partners to create hydrogen solutions that accelerate clean energy transitions.
Tim Wallington, research specialist in CSS is first author, Geoffrey Lewis, research specialist in CSS is co-author and doctoral student Maxwell Woody is also a co-author.
In addition to researchers at CSS, the research team included scientists from Michigan Engineering’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.