Hydrogen Demand Potential
As the renewable hydrogen economy advances, demand for hydrogen will expand. Accurate hydrogen demand forecasts play a crucial role in gauging the potential scale of opportunities that lie ahead. A team of researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory has developed models for future hydrogen demand.
Sources of Demand
Research conducted at ANL reveals eight significant hydrogen demand sources:
• petroleum refining
• biofuels production
• ammonia plants
• synthetic fuels and chemical
• natural gas pipeline injection
• steel production
• light-duty vehicles
• heavy-duty vehicles
Hydrogen Demand by Source, U.S.
NREL’s researchers have undertaken modeling future demand for hydrogen, both on an individual source basis and in the aggregate. Their findings reveal that the overall “sum of the serviceable consumption potentials for hydrogen demand is 106 million metric tons (MMT) per year, with 62 MMT/year for industrial uses, 29 MMT/ year for fuel cell vehicles, and 15 MMT/year for seasonal storage for electricity.
Aggregate Hydrogen Demand, U.S.
NREL also compiled a series of county-by-county maps illustrating hydrogen demand. The provided map showcases the overall projected demand for hydrogen from all demand sources.
Hydrogen Production Potential
Net Hydrogen Production Potential, U.S.
Net production is a critical factor to consider. Areas with higher net production potential could serve as hydrogen net-exporters. The map below displays technical potential for hydrogen production using solar and wind resources minus the serviceable consumption potential. Counties shaded in darker blue have higher net production potential.
Captions
Table 7. Serviceable consumption potential for hydrogen demand, by application.71
Figure 9. Total projected hydrogen demand.72
Figure 10. Net hydrogen production potential, by county. (Hydrogen production potential from solar and onshore wind minus serviceable consumption potential.)73
Figure 11. Hydrogen production potential from onshore wind, by county.74
Figure 12. Hydrogen production potential from utility-scale solar, by county.75