Decarbonizing long-haul freight in Saudi Arabia: A comparative life cycle assessment of fuel cell electric and diesel trucks

Diesel-powered Internal combustion engine trucks (ICETs) used for long-haul freight transport are major contributors to Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study conducts a cradle-to-use Life cycle assessment (LCA) (covering vehicle cycle, fuel cycle, and hydrogen refueling station) for long-haul sleeper-cab operations in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, comparing ICETs with Fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) powered by grey, blue, and green hydrogen. Findings indicate that although FCETs have higher vehicle cycle emissions, they achieve per-km life cycle GHG reductions of 13.8%, 53.3%, and 63.4% for grey, blue, and green hydrogen, respectively, compared to ICETs, despite higher life cycle energy use. Green hydrogen shows the lowest Well-to-Tank GHG intensity of 3.867 kg CO_2eq/kg H₂ and an energy demand of 124.5 MJ/kg H₂, followed by blue hydrogen at 5.221 kg CO_2eq/kg H₂ and 123.2 MJ/kg H₂. Blue hydrogen therefore represents a feasible transitional pathway toward low-carbon and energy-efficient freight transport in Saudi Arabia.