Life Cycle Carbon Emission Accounting and Mitigation Pathways of Typical Hydrogen Production Routes in Shanxi Province

With the dual goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, hydrogen energy has become a key strategic direction for Shanxi’s energy transformation. Clarifying the carbon emission characteristics and mitigation potential of typical hydrogen production routes is critical for guiding the low-carbon development of the local hydrogen industry. This study adopts a unified life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to analyze five representative hydrogen production routes in Shanxi. The results reveal significant differences in carbon intensity across routes: large-scale integrated coal gasification hydrogen production(LICGHP, 10.02 kg CO2e/kg-H2) > commercial coal gasification hydrogen production(CCGHP, 9.35 kg CO2e/kg-H2) > photovoltaic hydrogen production(PHP, 6.17 kg CO2e/kg-H2) > coke oven gas hydrogen production(COGHP, 3.83 kg CO2e/kg-H2) > wind power hydrogen production(WPHP, 1.57 kg CO2e/kg-H2). Coal-based routes are dominated by operational phase emissions, while renewable energy routes concentrate emissions in the construction phase with near-zero operational emissions. COGHP (61.78% mitigation rate) serves as a high-quality transitional pathway, and WPHP (84.33% mitigation rate) represents the optimal low-carbon option. Mitigation strategies vary by route: coal-based routes prioritize CCS and process optimization, while renewable energy routes focus on supply chain decarbonization and green construction. These findings provide scientific support for Shanxi’s hydrogen energy technology selection and low-carbon strategy formulation.