A technical assessment of the extent to which an energy transition in heavy-duty road transportation can be achieved using hydrogen produced from wind energy in Iceland

• Main Author: Elisabeth Louise Moore 1980-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn í Reykjavík
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2025
• Subjects: Orkuverkfræði; Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Orkuskipti; Transportation; Automotive; Flutningar (samgöngur); Vindorka; Sustainable energy engineering; Energy transition; Wind power; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1946/49145

Iceland has set itself some ambitious climate targets to become the first country to become independent of fossil fuels and achieve a full energy transition by 2040, requiring a complete cessation of its annual oil imports of 1.2 million tonnes. However, prior to 2030, it needs to reduce its annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1.3 million tonnes compared to 2021 and achieve a 40% share of renewable energy in transport. 37% of the imported oil is used in road transportation, a sector which is responsible for 17% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so it is evident that this sector is key to meeting these targets. It has been determined that in order to achieve this energy transition, Iceland must increase its annual electricity production from 20 TWh to 36 TWh. However, demand is unprecedented and supply is barely sufficient to meet current needs, while gaining approval to construct new power plants presents a significant challenge. As a country with no shortage of wind, it seems strange that this free, clean, renewable resource is not being utilised. This study undertook a desktop review to explore the extent to which an energy transition could be achieved in heavy-duty road transportation by using onshore wind energy to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis. The results were extremely encouraging. The proposed onshore wind farm was estimated to have a capacity factor comparable with the best-performing offshore wind farms globally. The energy that it harnessed was sufficient to produce 14.6 kt of green hydrogen or 86% of the amount of green hydrogen that the Icelandic government estimates is required annually to achieve a full energy transition in both heavy-duty road transportation and buses. This is equivalent to a 131 kt reduction in CO2 emissions. Despite these promising results, significant obstacles remain, including the regulatory barriers and delays in the approval of renewable energy projects. A streamlined approvals process is essential, as is overcoming public opposition to such ...