Innovative Energy Solutions for a Sustainable, Net-Zero Future Using Green Hydrogen

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-685-2_11How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Green Hydrogen; Electrolysis; Renewable Energy; Net-Zero Emissions; Energy Transition

Abstract

The urgent need to mitigate climate change has intensified global efforts to transition from fossil-based energy systems to low-carbon and renewable alternatives. Green hydrogen—produced through water electrolysis powered entirely by renewable energy—has emerged as a pivotal solution for achieving deep decarbonization across multiple sectors. Unlike conventional grey or blue hydrogen, green hydrogen enables zero direct emissions at the point of production and offers substantial potential for reducing the carbon footprint of hard-to-abate industries such as steelmaking, ammonia synthesis, heavy transport, and long-duration energy storage. This paper presents an overview of recent advancements in green hydrogen technologies, emphasizing improvements in electrolyzer efficiency, declining renewable energy costs, and supportive policy frameworks such as the EU Hydrogen Strategy and India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission. A techno-economic and life cycle assessment (LCA) approach is employed to evaluate key parameters including energy return on investment, cost trajectories, carbon intensity, and deployment scenarios in industrial and mobility sectors. Case studies from international pilot projects demonstrate increasing technical feasibility and economic competitiveness, with projected production costs expected to fall below $2/kg by 2030.The study also highlights the critical role of green hydrogen in enhancing grid flexibility and serving as a medium for seasonal energy storage, thereby strengthening energy security in regions with high renewable penetration. Remaining challenges—ranging from high capital expenditure and water demand to storage, transportation, and safety considerations—are discussed alongside emerging innovations such as anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers, AI-enabled plant optimization, and ammonia-based hydrogen carriersOverall, the work underscores green hydrogen’s transformative potential in enabling a sustainable, resilient, and net-zero global energy future.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Pragnesh N. Dave
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/26
TI  - Innovative Energy Solutions for a Sustainable, Net-Zero Future Using Green Hydrogen
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Infrastructure Development and Sustainability (ICIDS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 163
EP  - 182
SN  - 3005-155X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-685-2_11
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-685-2_11
ID  - Dave2026
ER  -