Spatial assessment of green hydrogen production in Minas Gerais and environmental performance of its use

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable energy alternatives has driven global interest in green hydrogen as a strategic energy carrier in the transition toward a low-carbon economy. Brazil, due to its abundance of renewable energy resources, has significant potential for green hydrogen production. However, challenges remain regarding the identification of the most suitable regions for hydrogen production, as well as the assessment of the environmental performance associated with different supply chains. The lack of integrated information on these aspects may hinder planning and strategic decision-making processes. In this context, this study aims to identify priority regions for green hydrogen production in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to evaluate, from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) perspective, the environmental performance of alternative hydrogen supply chains for electricity generation in dual-fuel compression ignition engines. In the first stage, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with geoprocessing techniques was used to develop thematic maps and identify the regions with the highest suitability for hydrogen production. A total of 22 parameters, ranked according to their relative importance as determined through more than 60 expert interviews, related to environmental aspects, resource availability, infrastructure, and regional development were evaluated. In the second stage, a wheel-to-well LCA was carried out considering the hydrogen supply chains originating from the regions identified as the most suitable in the AHP analysis, using a functional unit of 1 kWh of electricity generated. The analyzed supply chains comprised the direct use of compressed and liquefied hydrogen, as well as hydrogen transported and utilized in the form of green methanol and green ammonia, with production in Minas Gerais and end use in Spain. The assessment included the impact categories of global warming, fossil resource scarcity, fine particulate matter formation, ozone formation, human toxicity, and ecotoxicity. The results of the first stage identified the microregions of Uberlândia, Araxá, Pirapora, and Paracatu as the most suitable areas for green hydrogen production. The LCA results showed that renewable diesel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil – HVO) from waste greases currently presents the best overall environmental performance. Among the hydrogen-based alternatives, compressed hydrogen exhibited the lowest environmental impacts. However, sensitivity analysis indicates that the environmental advantage of renewable diesel is influen