Hydrogen Production Calculator
Hydrogen can play a critical role as a zero-carbon fuel that can aid in decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors of the global economy. It is also a crucial industrial feedstock for fertilizer and chemical production and in the production of conventional fuels in refining. Conventional methods of hydrogen production, however, are highly carbon intensive, with current global production responsible for nearly 900 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
There are various ways to generate hydrogen with a low emissions profile, each with its unique benefits and byproducts. Two of the leading pathways to make low-emissions hydrogen are 1) Electrolysis using low-carbon electricity (electrolytic hydrogen made in this manner using renewable energy is referred to as ‘green’ or ‘renewable’ hydrogen) and 2) Steam methane reforming with installed carbon capture and storage capabilities and strict upstream methane controls (often referred to as ‘blue’ hydrogen).
CATF’s Hydrogen Production Calculator allows users to better understand the resource profile of these pathways by showing the quantities of natural gas, water, and electricity required to produce different volumes of hydrogen through steam methane reforming with carbon capture and storage or electrolysis. Users can also learn about the nitrogen and hydrogen required to make ammonia, a key component of fertilizers manufacturing and a promising zero-carbon fuel to decarbonize maritime shipping.
How to use the calculator:
To use this tool, input a given volume of hydrogen for the desired generation pathway. For electrolysis, you can also adjust the capacity factor for the electricity input. The tool will calculate the inputs required for the corresponding volume of hydrogen, as well as the associated emissions and byproducts from each process. To use the ammonia production calculator, simply input the volume of hydrogen available.
Please note that this tool only accounts for facility level impacts and is not a life cycle analysis tool.
Select your calculator:
Low Carbon/Blue Hydrogen – Steam Methane Reforming with Carbon Capture and Storage
Frames of Reference for Hydrogen Produced with Natural Gas and Carbon Capture and Storage (‘Blue’ Hydrogen)
Most hydrogen produced today is done via steam methane reforming without any installed carbon capture technologies. A typical steam methane reformer (SMR) produces around 10,000 kg/hr of hydrogen as a useful frame of reference. A similarly sized steam methane reformer paired with carbon capture and storage technology would consume around 1,800 MMBTU (530 MWh) of natural gas per hour, which is around what 230,000 U.S homes consume in an hour.⁵ The plant would also consume around 200 gallons (780 liters) of water per minute, which is around what 1,000 U.S. homes consume each minute.⁶
Notes
- Facility performance is based on data from the IEAGHG Technical Report – 2017-02 February 2017 “Techno-Economic Evaluation of SMR Based Standalone (Merchant) Hydrogen Plant with CCS
- Carbon capture rate for this facility is 90%. Capture rates higher than 90% are possible with other facility configurations such as those using Auto-thermal reforming technologies (ATR)
- Normal densities are calculated normal temperature of 0oC and normal pressure of 1 atm or 101.325 kPa
- The facility has an availability factor of 100% implying 365 operating days per year. Typical availability factors are closer to 97%.
- Please note that consumption varies depending upon whether electricity is used instead of natural gas for common end uses like heating, cooking, and clothes drying. Using EIA data, CATF calculations show natural gas consumption per U.S. residential customer was 5,392 standard cubic feet per month in 2021. This is around 5.63 million British thermal units or 1649 kilowatt-hours per month. View source
- The readily available water at a facility may require additional processing to meet the stringent quality requirements for steam methane reforming or electrolysis. As a result, actual raw water consumption may vary depending upon available quality. The calculations listed above assume that the water is already treated to the required quality and does not include cooling water considerations for auxiliary equipment. According to the EPA, the average U.S household water consumption was 300 gallons (1136 liters) per day in 2016. View source. For additional information on how actual raw water consumption may vary depending upon available quality, see GHD’s webpage.
Electrolytic Hydrogen – Electrolysis
Frames of Reference for Hydrogen Produced from Electrolysis (‘Electrolytic’ Hydrogen)
Compared to a typical SMR making around 10,000 kg/hr of hydrogen, a similarly sized electrolysis plant would consume 530 MWh of electricity each hour—around what 440,000 U.S. homes consume in an hour.⁶ The electrolysis plant would also consume around 440 gallons (~1700 liters) of water per minute, which is around what 2,100 U.S homes consume each minute.⁷
Notes
- Electrolyzer electricity demand from Franhofer Institute for Solar Energy Sytems report – ” Cost forecast for low temperature electrolysis – technology driven bottom-up prognosis for PEM and alkaline water electrolysis systems
- Water demand for electrolysis from Nel (2020) C,S and H-series electrolyzers, a portion of which is lost to evaporation and is entrained with the hydrogen and oxygen gases
- A 1:1 ratio of renewable capacity and electrolyzer capacity is assumed for this setup
- Hydrogen production from electrolysis is more cost-effective the higher the capacity factor
- For additional information on utility-scale energy technology capacity factors, see NREL’s webpage.
- Please note that the number quoted above is for the electricity consumed, not the amount of generation capacity required to power the electrolysis plant. The generation capacity required will depend upon how often the electricity is available during the day, otherwise known as the capacity factor. The capacity factor varies for different renewable energy technologies, typically being 10-20% for solar PV and 30-50% for offshore wind (source). This factor can be changed in the tool to demonstrate the value of having clean, firm power that’s available 24/7. EIA data shows the average household electricity consumption was 10632 kWh/year. View source.
- The readily available water at a facility may require additional processing to meet the stringent quality requirements for steam methane reforming or electrolysis. As a result, actual raw water consumption may vary depending upon available quality. The calculations listed above assume that the water is already treated to the required quality and does not include cooling water considerations for auxiliary equipment. According to the EPA, the average U.S household water consumption was 300 gallons (1136 liters) per day in 2016 (source). For additional information on how actual raw water consumption may vary depending upon available quality, see GHD’s webpage.
Ammonia Production
Notes
- Potential ammonia production based on 100% conversion of hydrogen
- Normal densities are calculated normal temperature of 0oC and normal pressure of 1 atm or 101.325 kPa
- The facility has an availability factor of 100% implying 365 operating days per year. Typical availability factors are closer to 97%
Unit Descriptions
| Unit | Description |
|---|---|
| kg/hr | kilograms per hour |
| MMBTU/hr (HHV) | million british thermal units per hour (higher heating value) |
| TPA | tonnes per annum |
| lb/h | pounds per hour |
| MMSCFD | million standard cubic feet per day |
| Nm3/h | normal cubic meters per hour |
| GPM | gallons per minute |
| TWh/annum | terawatt-hours per annum |
| MW | megawatt |
| GW | gigawatt |
Hydrogen Frame of Reference
For a useful frame of reference, 1 kilogram of hydrogen has around the same energy content as 1 gallon of gasoline, 0.9 gallons of diesel, and 1 gallon of A1 jet fuel when compared on a lower heating value basis.
