Our latest study, How Green is Green Hydrogen – a Life-Cycle Approach to Hydrogen Production in Namibia, evaluates the carbon footprint of green hydrogen production at the Daures Green Hydrogen Village in Namibia. Using a life-cycle assessment (LCA), we found that hydrogen produced from electrolysis using solar electricity here has a remarkably low carbon footprint (1.8 kgCO2eq/kgH2), compared to other production sites in Germany and China (2.1 – 3.3 kgCO2eq/kgH2). Thereby it adheres to most sustainability standards for green hydrogen. Future improvements in electrolyzer efficiency and the decarbonisation of supply chains could further reduce emissions. Issues like freshwater usage in water scarce regions like Namibia on the other hand show a low impact on the carbon footprint, indicating that categories like water use should be included in such assessments. Future studies should include conversion and transport of the hydrogen produced and further impact categories to give a more holistic estimation of the sustainability of green hydrogen production.
This study was conducted as a part of the BMBF-funded “Hy4Daures” project.