Decarbonising grey hydrogen via bio-hydrogen and carbon capture and storage: a case study in Spain

L. Yagüe, J.I. Linares, E.M. Arenas, J.C. Romero

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Vol. 239, pp. 155447

Summary:

This study assesses the techno-economic feasibility of deploying biohydrogen with carbon capture and storage (HyBECCS) to decarbonise Spain's hydrogen production. The proposed framework replaces natural gas with biomethane while integrating CO₂ capture and storage. Fifteen steam methane reforming (SMR) facilities, representing 90% of national hydrogen production, are characterised. A geospatial analysis matches each facility with the nearest CO₂ storage site, estimating transport and storage costs as functions of distance and capacity. Full substitution of natural gas with biomethane across all facilities requires 28.7 TWh/yr of biomethane and yields up to 4.6 Mt CO₂/yr of negative emissions. Partial substitution across five SMR plants reduces demand to 14.6 TWh/yr of biomethane, achieving net-zero operation. The levelised cost of hydrogen for HyBECCS averages 3.56 €/kg H₂, compared with 2.61 €/kg H₂ under current production conditions. These results confirm HyBECCS as a technically viable and infrastructure-compatible pathway to achieve large-scale hydrogen decarbonisation in Spain.

Spanish layman's summary:

El estudio analiza si es viable descarbonizar la producción de hidrógeno en España usando biometano combinado con captura y almacenamiento de CO₂ (HyBECCS). Concluye que es técnicamente posible y compatible con la infraestructura actual, pudiendo incluso generar emisiones negativas, aunque con un coste algo mayor que el hidrógeno convencional.

English layman's summary:

The study evaluates the feasibility of decarbonising hydrogen production in Spain using biomethane with carbon capture and storage (HyBECCS). It finds this approach technically viable and compatible with existing infrastructure, capable of achieving even negative emissions, though at a higher cost than conventional hydrogen.

Keywords: Biohydrogen; CCS; Grey hydrogen; Net-zero

JCR-JIF Impact Factor and WoS quartile: 9,200 - Q1 (2025)

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155447

Published on paper: June 2026.

Published on-line: May 2026.

Citation:
L. Yagüe, J.I. Linares, E.M. Arenas, J.C. Romero, "Decarbonising grey hydrogen via bio-hydrogen and carbon capture and storage: a case study in Spain", International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 239, pp. 155447, June 2026. [Online: May 2026] doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.155447