Global land and water limits to electrolytic hydrogen production using wind and solar resources

Abstract Scale up of electrolytic production of hydrogen has been proposed as key to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This poses technical, economic, and environmental challenges. One challenge concerns the use of wind and solar resources to power water electrolyzers for low-carbon hydrogen production, which results in additional demand for already scarce land and water resources. Here, we quantify the land and water scarcity induced by large-scale hydrogen production from electrolysis of water using wind and solar electricity. First, we develop a reference scenario for hydrogen demand in a 2050 net-zero economy by country and by sector. We then estimate land and water demands associated with future hydrogen production, and compare such demands with the respective country-specific land and water availability. Results highlight that land and water availability may constrain the production of electrolytic hydrogen in Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. In our reference scenario, less than half of 2050 hydrogen demand could be satisfied by domestic production with no constraints in land and water resources. Our findings identify potential importers and exporters of hydrogen based on domestic land and water resources.