Comparison of Environmental Impact of Hydrogen Production via Gasification and Electrolysis Using Life Cycle Assessment

Abstract

Aims: The goal of this study was developed a life cycle assessment model for evaluating he environmental impacts of the hydrogen production based on Electrolysis and Gasification, processes carrying out sensitive analysis and Monte Carlo simulations focused on the impact category Global Warming. Background: Climate change and renewable processes, solutions and their products and materials evolved in this chain have been discussed since the past decade. The international pressure to adapt the countries industrial environmental to more sustainable practices have taken place in many areas around the world. One of the strategic areas to translate into this move are the fuel, chemicals and energy production, transportation, storage and usage. Hydrogen is one of the leading options for storing energy from renewables and looks promising to be a lowest-cost option. Study Design: The software openLCA Nexus is linked with the open source, and freely available, openLCA LCA software. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Engineering, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA from October 1, 2025, to November 25, 2025.  Methodology: OpenLCA was used to perform a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Results: Electrolysis and Gasification are viable processes to produce hydrogen and the energy source as the type of electricity modal have a significative impact for hydrogen production. The following processes have the higher to the lower impacts in the global warming category: Electrolysis (Hydropower - 153.93 kg CO2 eq) < Gasification (Hydropower – 22.08 kg CO2 eq) < Electrolysis (Wind – 0.27 kg CO2 eq) < Electrolysis (Grid mix - -12.31 kg CO2 eq). Conclusions: Finally, energy supplied from hydropower are significative CO2 input in the processes studied. It is recommended for the next studies include transportation in the processes that evolves raw materials for each technology as their investments to build the producer facility. Also increase the number of runs in a hundred factor.