Exploratory environmental impact assessment of the manufacturing and disposal stages of a new PEM fuel cell

This study presents an Exploratory Environmental Impact Assessment (EEIA) of the manufacturing process of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell mounted in a cargobike, a three-wheel assisted-pedalling vehicle that is equipped to carry small loads, from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Results show that metals (both their production and processing) are the main contributors to the global warming and fossil energy use impact categories. Impact of platinum is considerable in acidification impact category, due to the large emissions of sulphur oxides produced during the extraction of the material. If recycled platinum is considered, a decrease of 20% could be achieved in this impact category.