Life Cycle Assessment of new technologies for the production of hydrogen as energy for transport

Today, a growing concern about climate change and its consequences is forcing people and governments to take decisive actions toward a progressive decarbonization of the planet. Gone are the days when facing these challenges could be postponed, so many scientists from different countries around the world are joining forces and taking part in international initiatives to slow down and, in the long run, contain the effects of global warming that, if left uncontrolled, could jeopardize the very existence of modern human societies, as well as of almost every ecosystem on our planet. Among the other global players, the European Union is leading the search for low-emission renewable energy sources, suitable to sustain the impressive demands of modern society. Within the framework of this unprecedented energy transition, hydrogen has emerged as the green fuel of the future. Using hydrogen instead of traditional fossil fuels eliminates one of the main causes of the greenhouse effect. However, its high flammability is an obstacle for many applications, especially for storage and transport. A group of researchers at the University of Padua has patented a new technology to eliminate the problem of hydrogen's hazardous nature. This new technology allows the production of hydrogen ‘in situ' by splitting water molecules (hydrolysis) with sodium. This eliminates most of the critical problems in hydrogen production and facilitates its storage. This work aims to discuss the possible uses of this new technology to produce hydrogen and its employment in fields such as the transport sector.