Data Hub for Life Cycle Assessment of Climate Change Solutions—Hydrogen Case Study

Abstract

Life cycle assessment, which evaluates the complete life cycle of a product, is considered the standard methodological framework to evaluate the environmental performance of climate change solutions. However, significant challenges exist related to datasets used to quantify these environmental indicators. Although extensive research and commercial data on climate change technologies, pathways, and facilities exist, they are not readily available to practitioners of life cycle assessment in the right format and structure using an open platform. In this study, we propose a new open data hub platform for life cycle assessment, considering a hierarchical data flow starting with raw data collected on climate change technologies at laboratory, pilot, demonstration, or commercial scales to provide the information required for policy and decision-making. This platform makes data accessible at multiple levels for practitioners of life cycle assessment, while making data interoperable across platforms. The proposed data hub platform and workflow are explained through the polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis hydrogen production as a case study. The climate change environment impact of 1.17 ± 0.03 kg CO2 eq./kg H2 was calculated for the case study. The current data hub platform is limited to evaluating environmental impacts; however, future additions of economic and social aspects are envisaged.

Keywords

• life cycle assessment
• scientific and technology dataset
• life cycle inventory datasets
• data hub