Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption

This RMI fact sheet argues that scaling green hydrogen for a 1.5°C-aligned future will have a minimal impact on global freshwater supplies, as its water consumption is comparable to or lower than fossil-fuel-based hydrogen and other energy production methods. While global impact is low, the document emphasizes the need for intentional project siting and the use of alternative water sources to avoid straining local water-stressed regions.

• Green hydrogen production consumes between 20 and 30 liters of water per kilogram of hydrogen, which is similar to or less than the 20 to 40 liters per kilogram required for fossil-based hydrogen pathways. The base chemical requirement is 9 liters per kilogram, with an additional 10-20 liters needed for process cooling and water purification.
• The projected global and national water draw for hydrogen production by 2050 is considered insubstantial. Based on the Hydrogen Council's forecast of 660 million metric tons of demand, water usage would be 13.2 billion cubic meters, or 0.33 percent of current global freshwater. In the US, meeting the DOE National Clean Hydrogen Roadmap target of 50 million metric tons annually via electrolysis at 20 L/kg would require 1 billion cubic meters, representing 0.26 percent of current US water usage.
• To mitigate local water stress, green hydrogen can utilize non-freshwater sources such as seawater, municipal wastewater, industrial wastewater, or water from food waste. These technologies can achieve the required 99.9 percent purity levels with minimal impact on costs, typically adding no more than $0.10/kg to the levelized cost of hydrogen and using 1 percent of the electricity required for electrolysis.
• The Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) project in Utah serves as an example of low local impact; producing 100 tons of clean hydrogen per day will require 730,000 cubic meters of water annually, which is 0.012 percent of Utah's current yearly water usage.

APA

RMI (2023). Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption. https://rmi.org/resources/hydrogen-reality-check-distilling-green-hydrogens-water-consumption/

Chicago

RMI. Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/hydrogen-reality-check-distilling-green-hydrogens-water-consumption/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption |date=2 August 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/hydrogen-reality-check-distilling-green-hydrogens-water-consumption/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023hydrogen, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Hydrogen Reality Check: Distilling Green Hydrogen’s Water Consumption}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/hydrogen-reality-check-distilling-green-hydrogens-water-consumption/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }