Hydrogen Transport and Economics: Enabling the Energy Transition for a Sustainable Future

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides a structured cost analysis and technology overview that can inform further modeling of hydrogen supply chains and transport economics.

🏢実務担当者:Highlights the economic advantage of decentralized hydrogen production for heavy industry decarbonization, useful for corporate strategy on hydrogen adoption.

🏛政策担当者:Emphasizes the need for cost targets and infrastructure investments to enable a global hydrogen economy, guiding policy on subsidies and R&D.

Over the past few years, hydrogen (H2) has garnered exponentially increasing interest as a potential primary energy carrier of the future. While significant progress has been made in analyzing and optimizing hydrogen production processes, relatively little attention has been directed toward hydrogen transport. This aspect is critical, as it is widely regarded as a key bottleneck limiting the scalability and economic viability of hydrogen adoption. For pure hydrogen (H2), transportation in liquid form is referred to as liquid hydrogen (LH2). Alternatively, H2 can be converted into ammonia (NH3) or stored in other liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) for transport. However, hydrogen transport presents several technical challenges that current technologies struggle to address effectively. Key issues include hydrogen's low density, high permeability, volatility, safety concerns, and the associated high production and handling costs. Furthermore, the transportation phase, regardless of the chosen form, introduces additional complexities that significantly impact the overall economic analysis and commercial viability of hydrogen adoption, ultimately influencing its scalability as a sustainable energy carrier. Focusing on the two primary clean hydrogen (H2) production processes: green hydrogen (via electrolysis powered by renewable energy) and blue hydrogen (produced from natural gas with carbon capture), this analysis highlights significant cost challenges associated with transporting liquid hydrogen (LH2) using current technologies. Specifically, centralized hydrogen production and subsequent transport result in costs that are approximately 4-5 times higher than those of natural gas, rendering it economically non-viable under present conditions. However, decentralized hydrogen production, where H2 is generated near the point of consumption (e.g., at cement or steel factories), offers a more promising pathway. By reducing the transport requirements, decentralized production positions hydrogen as a viable solution for decarbonizing heavy industries, which account for 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions. For hydrogen transport to be cost-effective, the target cost for the transmission and distribution of LH2, ammonia (NH3), or liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) is set at approximately USD 2-3/kg. Achieving this target will require substantial investments, particularly in decentralized production infrastructure. While transforming H2 into NH3 or LOHC adds energy intensity and cost, these forms are currently the most feasible options for long-distance transport, paving the way for a global hydrogen economy to emerge by approximately 2030 and beyond. This manuscript outlines the current status of technologies for transporting LH2, NH3, and LOHCs, along with a simplified cost analysis and projections through 2030. It also examines key challenges associated with centralized and decentralized hydrogen production, highlighting their implications for transport. Brief discussions are supported by relevant economic analyses, providing insights into the viability and scalability of these technologies for building a sustainable hydrogen economy.

• semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.4043/36923-msfirst seen 2026-05-15 20:42:03