2026-05-12 カリフォルニア大学アーバイン校（UCI）
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.uci.edu/2026/05/12/uc-irvine-team-identifies-where-renewable-hydrogen-delivers-the-greatest-social-benefit/
- https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(26)00111-X
電解水素の社会的価値 The social value of electrolytic hydrogen
Robert Flores ∙ Mariam Al Moubasher ∙ Jack Brouwer ∙ Jeff Reed
Joule Published:April 17, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2026.102427
Graphical abstract
Context & scale
Electrolytic hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen by using electricity. When that electricity comes from low-carbon or renewable sources, hydrogen can be used to cut greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions in sectors that are otherwise difficult to decarbonize, such as heavy-duty transport and certain industrial processes. Widespread use faces three major barriers: high costs, substantial energy requirements, and limited supply. Conventional cost analyses often show that electrolytic hydrogen is more expensive than fossil pathways, but these analyses typically overlook societal value, including reduced climate impacts, cleaner air, improved public health, and reduced demand for natural resources. This study quantifies social value through monetizing life cycle analyses, converting environmental and health impacts into equivalent costs to estimate the social benefit of replacing fossil fuel processes with electrolytic hydrogen.
Our results show that social value is the highest when hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity; when applied in coal-, oil-, or diesel-intensive sectors; and when decarbonization enables energy efficiency improvements. High-value applications include steelmaking, ocean-going vessels, and heavy-duty trucks. However, outside of steel and chemical production processes that require hydrogen or long-range heavy-duty transportation, a greater social value can often be achieved through direct electrification and/or use of rechargeable battery energy storage systems. From a policy perspective, these findings support advancing hydrogen technologies for the highest-value end uses and directing hydrogen supply toward those applications in the hardest-to-decarbonize heavy-duty transport and industrial sectors. In some cases, the societal value of displacing fossil fuels could help offset the additional cost of switching to hydrogen; however, increased electrolytic hydrogen use must always be paired with expansion of renewable generation to preserve the social value of decarbonization efforts.
Highlights
- Quantifies social value of hydrogen versus fossil and electrification pathways
- Steel, ocean-going vessels, and trucks show the highest social values ($5–$8/kg H2)
- Direct electrification yields lower social cost in most applications
- Hydrogen creates a strong social value only when produced with renewable electricity
Summary
Renewable electrolytic hydrogen should be prioritized where it delivers greatest value. We present a monetized life cycle analysis comparing fossil, hydrogen, and direct electrification pathways across major industrial and heavy-duty transportation sectors. Social cost is quantified for each pathway, and the social value of hydrogen ($/kg H2) is estimated. Renewable hydrogen value is the highest for steelmaking, transoceanic shipping, and trucks—often exceeding $5–$8/kg H2—while applications replacing natural gas, such as electricity generation and industrial heating, yield lower social values, compared with incumbent technologies. When powered by wind and solar, most hydrogen and electrification pathways reduce social costs by over 90%. Fossil energy-based hydrogen has a low social value and is highly sensitive to leakage, whereas renewable electrolytic hydrogen retains a positive value under all reasonable leakage rates. Although direct electrification typically yields a higher social value, hydrogen outperforms in some heavy-duty applications and remains essential where direct electrification is infeasible.
