New Study Explores Water Sustainability in Renewable Hydrogen Production

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has published the final report of its latest study, "Sustainability of Water Use and Management in Renewable Hydrogen Production". The study looks at how renewable hydrogen can scale up in Europe without adding pressure on water resources. It assesses the water needs of hydrogen production, how feasible alternative water sources are, and how effective policies on climate-related water scarcity have been.

Authored by RINA, Fundación Hidrógeno Aragón and Softwater, the study draws on five Hydrogen Valleys with very different climates and water conditions. Alongside the report, the study launches the Clean Hydrogen Explorer, a data-driven platform with Europe-wide regional insights on water, energy and hydrogen.

The study concludes that, even though at regional level the additional water consumption due to the foreseen hydrogen production will be limited, the case studies reveal that hydrogen production can only be sustainable when deployment is water aware. Water must be considered from the earliest stages of project planning, taking into account regional and seasonal basin conditions. Sites should be chosen on water availability as well as renewable energy potential, and alternative sources such as treated wastewater and seawater should be used where local conditions require them.

Discover the Clean Hydrogen Explorer