Hydrogen powertrains technologies for decarbonizing urban waste collection truck fleets: a techno-economic and lifecycle assessment

• Green H 2 is assessed as a diesel alternative for Lisbon waste collection trucks. • The study compares H 2 fuel cells and H 2 internal combustion engine trucks. • H 2 -FCT costs 13.7 €/t, while H 2 -ICET costs 17.8 €/t of waste collected. • H 2 -FCT cuts 1,510 t CO 2 /year; H 2 -ICET cuts 1,001 t CO 2 /year. • H 2 -FCT offers better economic and environmental performance than H 2 -ICET. Decarbonizing heavy road transport is critical for achieving sustainable cities and promoting clean energy use. This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic and environmental assessment of green hydrogen, produced via electrolysis, as an alternative to diesel for municipal solid waste collection trucks in Lisbon. This study investigates two hydrogen powertrain technologies: hydrogen fuel cell trucks (H 2 -FCT) and hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks (H 2 -ICET), compared to diesel internal combustion engine trucks (Diesel-ICET). The techno-economic analysis reveals costs reaching 13.7 €/ton of waste collected (1.88 M€/year) and 17.8 €/ton of waste (2.45 M€/year), respectively. Key infrastructure requirements include 2 MW electrolyzers for H 2 -FCT and 3.4 MW for H 2 -ICET, alongside hydrogen dispensing units and retrofitting trucks. Environmentally, H 2 -FCT demonstrate superior performance, avoiding 1,510 t of CO 2 annually (11 kg CO 2 /t waste collected) compared to H 2 -ICET’s 1,001 t of CO 2 (7.3 kg CO 2 /t waste), representing 64% and 42% reductions versus diesel trucks. While both hydrogen solutions offer convincing decarbonization pathways, the findings underscore H 2 -FCT’s combined economic and environmental advantages. The study highlights the role of green hydrogen in advancing sustainable urban transport and guiding supportive policy development.