Assessment of environmental impacts and costs for hydrogen-powered cargo shipping in Europe
Abstract The transportation of goods contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgency of sustainable transport solutions. A promising yet underexplored solution is the introduction of small autonomous-driving hydrogen-powered boats (AHB) that can substitute long-...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Communications Engineering |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00388-4 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The transportation of goods contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgency of sustainable transport solutions. A promising yet underexplored solution is the introduction of small autonomous-driving hydrogen-powered boats (AHB) that can substitute long-haul trucking. Here we address this gap by modelling an AHB and then performing a life cycle assessment, coupled with a total cost of ownership analysis, across various scenarios. AHBs powered by green hydrogen are expected to emit 0.46 kg CO2 eq km−1 and cost 0.82 € km−1 on average. In contrast, AHBs powered by gray hydrogen are characterized by average emissions of 1.12 kg CO2 eq km−1 and costs of 0.42 € km−1. Furthermore, costs of the modelled AHB are compared to those of semi-trucks powered by different fuels to gauge the AHB’s real world applicability. The results show that an AHB could be the cost-optimal solution for non-time sensitive transportation of goods exceeding distances of 624 km. |
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| ISSN: | 2731-3395 |