Carbon Solutions analysts modeled dozens of typical hydrogen production pathways through the use of peer-reviewed published literature and tools like Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET Lifecycle Model. In addition to the conventional SMR process mentioned above, we also included hydrogen produced via autothermal reforming (ATR), a process similar to SMR. Both the SMR and ATR processes are compatible with carbon capture equipment, leading to deep carbon reductions when captured CO2 is stored permanently. We also studied hydrogen production via electrolysis, where water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen through the use of electricity. When powered primarily with zero-carbon electricity from renewables or nuclear power, electrolysis-based hydrogen can provide some of the largest GHG reductions of the pathways we studied.
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