On Route to CO₂ Free Fuels: Hydrogen – Latest Developments in its Supply Chain and Applications in Transport

Authors

Dr. W. Warnecke, Dr. J. Adolf, Dr. C. Balzer, M. Blieske, P. Karzel, Dr. A. Kolbeck, Dr. A. van der Made, Dr. J. Powell, Dr. K. Wilbrand, L. Zimmermann, Shell

Year

2020

Print Info

Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 12, Nr. 813

Summary

In 2017, Shell published a study on hydrogen, its supply chain as well as potential applications (Shell 2017). In the meantime, the energy transition has progressed in many regions of the world. Whereas a few years ago, an all-electric world in transport seemed to be the final energy solution, it is by now obvious, that multiple solutions are more likely for many energy-consumption sectors, especially for (road) transport. This paper analyses one of the options on route towards CO₂ free fuels for transportation in further detail: hydrogen. It thus updates and expands many parts of the previous Shell Hydrogen Study. The investigation starts with a review of the sources, production methods and latest technologies of hydrogen supply chains. Discussed next are gaseous and liquid hydrogen storage and distribution technologies, including transport. Recent developments in hydrogen retailing as well as its application in road transport are investigated. The latest hydrogen retail station designs for heavy-duty vehicles and potential applications in HDVs are discussed, focusing on higher-volume on-board storage of hydrogen based on an unpublished technical AVL investigation on behalf of Shell.In collaboration with the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH), Shell developed different supply chain scenarios for green hydrogen – either gaseous or liquid – to heavy-duty retail stations and heavy-duty vehicles. The scenarios investigate and compare efficiency and cost of different hydrogen supply chains in detail. The paper concludes with an outlook for hydrogen demand in non-transport and a quantitative assessment for road transport applications to 2030. Finally, it formulates general framework conditions for a successful upscaling of (green) hydrogen technologies, not yet economically viable by themselves at present, during energy transition.