Dynamic Carbon-Aware Operation of Electrolytic Hydrogen Production in Australia: A Spatio-Temporal Life Cycle Assessment

The transition to sustainable energy is critical for addressing global climate change. Hydrogen production, particularly via electrolysis, has emerged as a key solution, offering the potential for low-carbon energy across various sectors. This paper conducts a spatiotemporal life cycle analysis of electrolytic hydrogen production in Australia under time-varying CO2 management schemes. Three scenarios are studied. The baseline scenario studies hydrogen production at a fixed rate of 20 kg/h, resulting in monthly carbon emissions of 30–500 metric tons of CO2, depending on the Australian state and chosen month. Variable production scenario 1 reduces hydrogen production in a tiered fashion as the grid’s carbon intensity increases, resulting in monthly carbon emissions of 30–110 metric tons of CO2, depending on the Australian state and chosen month. Finally, variable production scenario 2 restricts hydrogen production to periods when the life cycle carbon intensity (LCA CO2eq) of electricity falls below a predefined threshold of 0.6 kg CO2 per kg H2, thereby qualifying for hydrogen tax credits and resulting in monthly carbon emissions of 0.1–0.6 metric tons of CO2 in Tasmania. Leveraging real-time data from the Electricity Mapping database and real-time electricity cost data from the AEMO database, the three scenarios study the effect of dynamically adjusting hydrogen output to reduce both emissions and production costs. Furthermore, the integration of hydrogen tax credits significantly enhances cost-effectiveness, offering a viable pathway for widespread adoption. This study concludes that dynamic, real-time operation, coupled with financial incentives, offers a promising approach to enhancing the sustainability and economic viability of hydrogen production.