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During my time working with the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, I had the privilege of serving as a consultant for Disa and Enagas on a groundbreaking project: the development of a green hydrogen production plant in the Canary Islands. As part of this effort, I conducted a comprehensive carbon footprint study comparing the impact of this proposed green hydrogen system to the current fossil fuel-dependent model. Green hydrogen must be the energy vector of the future, according to several communications from the European Commission.
In this blog, I’ll share the key insights from my study, which highlight the potential of green hydrogen to significantly reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.
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A Region Rich in Renewable Resources
The Canary Islands are uniquely positioned to leverage renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, making them an ideal location for green hydrogen production. Hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, using renewable electricity and desalinated seawater—an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
The goal of this project is to help the Canary Islands transition away from diesel/gasoline, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and propane air, which are currently the primary fuels used for critical activities such as terrestrial transport, hotel energy consumption, and industrial processes. My study analyzed the carbon footprint of this transition and the potential impact of adopting green hydrogen across three stages of implementation. The emission factors published by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of the Spanish Government have been used for this calculation.
Key Findings: A Comparison of Carbon Footprints
In the study, I compared the current system, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with the proposed green hydrogen scenario. The following table summarizes the carbon footprints of each scenario across the three stages of implementation:
| Process | Stage 1 (ton CO2eq) | Stage 2 (ton CO2eq) | Stage 3 (ton CO2eq) |
| Future system (green hydrogen) | 121 | 184 | 518 |
| Current system (fossil fuels) | 6888 | 11374 | 26820 |
| Decarbonization | 6767 | 11190 | 26302 |
The results clearly demonstrate that the green hydrogen system can drastically reduce CO2 emissions. In the current system, emissions are primarily driven by diesel production and use, as well as emissions from LNG and propane air. In comparison, the future hydrogen-based system’s emissions are mainly due to the logistics of transporting hydrogen—a process that is currently less efficient than transporting diesel.
Challenges and Recommendations
While the carbon footprint analysis shows the significant environmental benefits of adopting green hydrogen, the logistics of transporting hydrogen remain a challenge. Transporting hydrogen requires 16.49 times more trucks than transporting diesel for the same amount of energy. As a result, I recommended further research into alternatives such as using carriers (i.e. ammonia), liquefied hydrogen or the use of pipelines to enhance transport efficiency and further reduce emissions.
Additionally, my analysis focused on carbon footprint reduction, but I believe a broader assessment of other environmental impacts—such as Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), Land Use (LU), and Water Use (WU)—is necessary to get a full picture of the project’s sustainability.
Conclusion: A Path Towards Decarbonization
As a consultant on this project for Disa and Enagas, I found that the shift from fossil fuels to a green hydrogen-based energy system offers enormous potential for reducing the carbon footprint of the Canary Islands. With an estimated 26,302 tons of CO2 avoided annually, the benefits of this transition are clear.
However, improving the logistics of hydrogen transport will be key to maximizing the environmental benefits of this project. With the right infrastructure and innovative solutions, I’m confident that the Canary Islands can become a leader in renewable hydrogen production, setting an example for other regions aiming to decarbonize their energy systems.
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