The purpose of this work is to provide a comprehensive view on whether hydrogen is an option to decarbonize heavy transport by conducting SLR to fill the existing research gap. The framework and classification of main contents are developed to synthesize scattered literature and obtain coherent knowledge at technical, environmental and economic levels. For this reason, a systematic literature review is conducted to take a holistic look at whether decarbonization of heavy vehicles can be achieved through hydrogen. This question is considered from technical, environmental, and economic perspectives. The result may be that hydro-gen is not an option for decarbonizing heavy vehicles for technical, environmental, or economic reasons. Or, if certain conditions are met, is a good option to reduce GHG emissions. Although there are other transportation modes in the transportation sector, such as the car or the train, this work is mainly limited to heavy-duty road transport, because here hydrogen has greater advantages, such as the higher benefit of range.
To answer the research question, this thesis is structured as follows, in chapter 1 the theoretical background is clarified, followed by the explanation of the methodology. In the main part of the thesis, the different perspectives from a technical, ecological and economic point of view are first highlighted. In the first part of the technical perspective, these include the hydrogen infrastructure, consisting of production, storage, delivery and the refuelling stations. Then, in the second part, the regional differences and the design of the trucks are elaborated. Finally, the main part addresses the environ-mental perspective through the GHG emission reduction potential and the economic perspective through the costs. Then, the benefits of hydrogen, the challenges to be overcome, and a comparison with other fuel options are discussed. The conclusion describes the implications of this study and future research areas.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical background
3. Methodology
4. Findings
4.1 Technical Analysis
4.1.1 The Infrastructure
4.1.2 Hydrogen in different regions
4.1.3 The Construction of Trucks
4.2 Ecological analysis
4.2.1 GHG Reduction Potential
4.3 Economic analysis
4.3.1 Hydrogen costs
5. Discussion
5.1 Advantages
5.2 Challenges
5.2.1 Technical challenges
5.2.2 Ecological and Economical challenges
5.3 Comparison with other fuels
6. Conclusion
6.1 Research implications
6.2 Limitations
7. References list
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to evaluate whether hydrogen serves as a viable option for the decarbonization of heavy-duty road transport by synthesizing current scientific literature through a systematic review.
- Technical feasibility of hydrogen infrastructure and powertrain systems.
- Ecological impacts and greenhouse gas reduction potential.
- Economic analysis of production, storage, and transport costs.
- Comparative assessment against alternative fuel technologies like batteries and diesel.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.1.1 Production of Hydrogen
In general, hydrogen is a very abundant energy source, as it can be produced from water through different means and is also a byproduct of chemical reactions in industrial plants (Ally, Pryor and Pigneri, 2015). At present, about 70 million tons of pure hydrogen are produced annually. Moreover, hydrogen demand could increase almost tenfold by 2050 (Hurskainen and Ihonen, 2020). Hydrogen production can generally be divided into three phases, plant construction, plant operation, and storage (Bhandari, Trudewind and Zapp, 2014).
Initially, plant construction and plant operation are considered. To produce 1 kg of gaseous hydrogen, 50 kWh of electricity is required, and this is expected to improve to 47.6 kWh/kg by 2035 (Tlili et al., 2020). Therefore, clean power generation plays an important role in reducing emissions (Al-breiki and Bicer, 2021). However, the current way of hydrogen production is dominated by chemical production from coal, natural gas, or methanol, which still generates a large amount of GHG emissions and high feedstock costs (Lao et al., 2020).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the motivation for decarbonizing transport and defines the research scope through a systematic literature review.
2. Theoretical background: Summarizes the existing state of hydrogen research and the necessity of transitioning from fossil fuels to hydrogen.
3. Methodology: Describes the five-step systematic literature review process used to gather and analyze high-quality scientific findings.
4. Findings: Examines technical infrastructure, ecological benefits, and economic cost structures associated with hydrogen transport.
5. Discussion: Synthesizes the advantages and challenges of hydrogen, highlighting its potential for grid balancing and sustainable transport compared to other fuels.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes key research findings and identifies areas for further investigation regarding future research needs.
Keywords
Hydrogen, Heavy-duty transport, Decarbonization, Systematic Literature Review, Infrastructure, Green energy, GHG emissions, Fuel cells, Renewable energy, Economic analysis, Sustainability, Transport logistics, Power-to-Gas
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis investigates whether hydrogen is a viable, sustainable option for decarbonizing heavy-duty road transport from technical, ecological, and economic perspectives.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The work covers hydrogen production methods, infrastructure development (storage/delivery), vehicle technology (fuel cells/hybrid engines), GHG reduction impact, and market cost structures.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to provide a holistic overview of the current research landscape to identify whether hydrogen can effectively replace fossil fuels in transport.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author uses a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on a five-step guide to ensure a transparent, reproducible, and objective synthesis of scientific literature.
What is addressed in the main part?
The main part analyzes hydrogen pathways, including production via electrolysis, regional differences in capacity, truck powertrain construction, carbon emission impacts, and current economic cost barriers.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include hydrogen, heavy-duty transport, electrolysis, GHG mitigation, carbon footprint, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and infrastructure development.
Why is the regional perspective on hydrogen production important?
Regional variations in energy costs and renewable availability (like wind power in Norway vs. coal-reliant grids) significantly impact the overall carbon neutrality of hydrogen.
What is identified as the biggest economic hurdle?
The study identifies high production costs compared to fossil fuels and the significant investment needed for a dedicated, new refueling infrastructure as primary economic obstacles.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2021, Hydrogen as Option to Decarbonize Road Transport, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1404947
