Life-cycle assessment of hydrogen technologies with the focus on EU critical raw materials and end-of-life strategies

Abstract We present the results of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for manufacturing and end-of-life (EoL) phases following fuel-cell hydrogen (FCH) technologies: alkaline water electrolyser (AWE), polymer-electrolyte-membrane (PEMWE), high-temperature (HT) low-temperature (LT) fuel cells (PEMFCs), together with balance-of-plant components. New inventories (LCIs), i.e., material inputs AWE, PEMWE HT PEMFC are developed, whereas existing LCI LT is adopted from previous EU-funded project. The LCA models all four FCH technologies created by modelling phase, followed defining EoL strategies processes used finally assessing effects approach using environmental indicators. analysed stepwise approach, where CML2001 method to evaluate impacts. show that impacts phase can be substantially reduced proposed (i.e., recycled materials being in replacing some virgin materials). To point out importance critical (in this case, platinum-group metals or PGMs) their recycling strategies, further analyses were made. By comparing without PGMs, an increase observed, which much greater case both systems, because they contain larger quantity PGMs.