Hydrogen is a clean energy source that can be made in different ways, but all methods require large amounts of water.

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin looks at how much water Texas will need for its growing hydrogen industry.

By 2050, new hydrogen production plants could use between 2% and 6.8% of the state’s total water supply.

Most of these new facilities will be built along the Gulf Coast and in South Texas as part of the HyVelocity Hub project, a collaboration between businesses, universities, and non-profits to expand hydrogen production in Texas.

How was water use estimated?

The researchers used data from a 2024 National Petroleum Council study, which predicted how much hydrogen Texas might need between 2030 and 2050.

They looked at two different scenarios: a net-zero scenario, where hydrogen production is designed to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, and a stated policy scenario, which follows existing government policies.

The role of blue and green hydrogen

The study examined the water needs of two main types of hydrogen:

• Green hydrogen is made by splitting water using electricity, producing no carbon emissions. It requires extremely pure water, but leftover water can often be reused.
• Blue hydrogen is made from natural gas and creates carbon emissions. These emissions can be reduced by capturing and storing carbon underground, but this process increases water use. The leftover water from blue hydrogen often needs extra treatment before being reused.

The researchers found that producing net-zero hydrogen requires 3.4 times more water than today’s methods. This means water demand could reach 6.8% of Texas’ total water supply, compared to 2% under the current system. Most of this increase comes from the need to capture carbon emissions from blue hydrogen.

Even though hydrogen production uses less water than industries like farming or city water supplies, it could still have a big impact on water-stressed areas. Many new hydrogen plants will be built along the Gulf Coast, where fresh groundwater shortages are expected by 2040.

“This study shows how important it is to plan for both water and energy needs together,” said study leader Ning Lin, an energy economist at UT. “Where we build hydrogen plants can make a big difference for local communities.”

Experts believe this research will help policymakers, businesses, and communities make better decisions about where to build hydrogen plants and how to manage water use.

The study was published in the journal Sustainability.