Fuel Cells: A Green Solution?

Published by: David Suzuki Foundation and partners
Partners: Pembina Institute

Cities, Climate solutions greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable transportation, decarbonization, renewable energy

Hydrogen fuel cells are portrayed as the green alternative to internal-combustion engines, which emit greenhouse gases that cause global warming. We are told the only emissions created by driving a hydrogen fuelcell-powered vehicle will be water.

But where does the hydrogen come from? What polluting emissions will be created by generating it? To be pollution-free, the hydrogen must be derived from renewable energy, such as solar or wind. Unfortunately, hydrogen from these sources is not yet available at a commercial scale. It is currently manufactured by “stripping” it out of fossil fuels, such as natural gas, methanol or gasoline, or by passing a heavy electric current through water. These fossil fuel-based sources of hydrogen differ widely in the emissions they generate, but they are now being proposed as the power source for fuel cell vehicles, without public discussion of the environmental consequences.

This document summarizes a 50-page technical report on the specifics of Life-Cycle Value Assessment, including findings and data related to current hydrogen production systems.