Assessment of environmental impacts and costs for hydrogen-powered cargo shipping in Europe

The transportation of goods contributes considerably to global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgency of sustainable transport solutions. A promising yet underexplored solution is the introduction of small autonomous-driving hydrogen-powered boats (AHB) that can substitute long-haul trucking. Here we address this gap by modelling an AHB and then performing a life cycle assessment, coupled with a total cost of ownership analysis, across various scenarios. AHBs powered by green hydrogen are expected to emit 0.46 kg CO₂ eq km^-1 and cost 0.82 € km^-1 on average. In contrast, AHBs powered by gray hydrogen are characterized by average emissions of 1.12 kg CO₂ eq km^-1 and costs of 0.42 € km^-1. Furthermore, costs of the modelled AHB are compared to those of semi-trucks powered by different fuels to gauge the AHB's real world applicability. The results show that an AHB could be the cost-optimal solution for non-time sensitive transportation of goods exceeding distances of 624 km.