Wiktor Wise
Hydrogen and electricity are both considered key to achieving net-zero emissions and slowing climate change. However, the processes of generating and distributing them are not inherently climate-neutral. Hydrogen, for example, is currently mostly derived from fossil fuels, which produce high levels of carbon dioxide emissions. Nevertheless, hydrogen is still considered a viable solution for hard-to-abate sectors, such as heavy industry and long-distance transport. Electricity, meanwhile, is often generated by renewable sources, but the infrastructure required to transmit it can be a source of emissions, and it is less portable than hydrogen.
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What You'll Learn
Hydrogen's role in meeting energy and climate goals
Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in meeting international energy and climate goals. As a clean energy carrier, hydrogen can help decarbonize sectors such as transportation, heavy industry, and long-distance transport, where reducing emissions has proven challenging. Additionally, hydrogen can support the integration of variable renewables in the electricity system, offering a rare option for storing energy over extended periods.
The advantages of hydrogen as an energy source are evident in its versatility and environmental benefits. Hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power, or through carbon capture from fossil fuels. This production process results in low emissions, making hydrogen a cleaner alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Furthermore, hydrogen can be used as a fuel that does not produce greenhouse gases when burned, contributing to the reduction of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
However, there are challenges to the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy source. Currently, hydrogen production and consumption primarily occur in the same location, without the need for transport infrastructure. As demand increases, low-emissions hydrogen production in regions with abundant renewable energy resources will become more economically viable, necessitating the development of transport infrastructure to connect production sites with demand centers. Additionally, the cost of "electrolyzers," which are required to generate hydrogen from electricity, is a significant barrier to the expansion of hydrogen as an energy source.
To overcome these challenges and unlock the potential of hydrogen, several strategies can be employed. Firstly, stimulating demand through policy action and carbon pricing can help attract investment and accelerate the production scale-up of low-emissions hydrogen. Additionally, providing tailored support to shovel-ready flagship projects can catalyze the development of the necessary infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities for low-emissions hydrogen. International collaboration and the implementation of government policies will also be crucial in driving the adoption of hydrogen technologies and ensuring their economic feasibility.
In conclusion, hydrogen has a crucial role to play in meeting energy and climate goals. With its ability to decarbonize challenging sectors, support renewable integration, and provide a clean energy source, hydrogen offers a versatile and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels. By addressing the current challenges and leveraging the opportunities presented by hydrogen, we can accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.
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Hydrogen production methods
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. It can be used as a fuel that does not produce greenhouse gases when burned. However, there isn't an easy-to-tap source of pure hydrogen available on Earth. To use it, it must be manufactured, and this manufacturing process can release climate pollution. So, how "'clean'" hydrogen is depends on how it’s produced.
The best option for the climate is "green" hydrogen. To make green hydrogen, producers use electricity from renewable sources like wind or solar to split water molecules, removing hydrogen from oxygen and taking the H out of H2O. This process can emit 1 kilogram or less of CO2 per kilogram of hydrogen produced, depending on the supply chain of the renewable electricity and the overall efficiency of the process. Currently, producing green hydrogen using wind energy is cleaner than using solar energy because manufacturing solar equipment takes more energy, and wind energy installations produce electricity at their maximum output more often than similarly-sized solar projects.
Green hydrogen can also be produced from other low-emission sources such as biomass. Biomass is converted into syngas by gasification, and syngas is further converted into hydrogen by the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR). Carbon/hydrocarbon-assisted water electrolysis (CAWE) is another method that uses chemical energy from sources of carbon such as low-rank and high-sulfur coals, biomass, alcohols, and methane.
Nearly all of the world's current supply of hydrogen is created from fossil fuels, specifically through steam methane reforming. In this process, hydrogen is produced from a chemical reaction between steam and methane, the main component of natural gas. When carbon capture and storage are used to remove a large fraction of these emissions, the product is known as blue hydrogen. Producing one tonne of hydrogen through this process emits 6.6–9.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Electrolysers, which split hydrogen from water, are costly, and solar and wind energy are only available during certain times of the day, meaning they are not being used to their full capacity. However, technological advances that make green hydrogen cleaner would also make it cheaper.
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Hydrogen's versatility in energy storage and transport
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. It can be used as a fuel that does not directly produce greenhouse gases when burned. Hydrogen can be produced using electricity from renewable sources like wind or solar to split water molecules, removing hydrogen from oxygen. This process emits a small amount of CO2, depending on the supply chain of the renewable electricity and the efficiency of the process.
The versatility of hydrogen as an energy carrier is evident in its ability to help decarbonize various sectors, including heavy industry and long-distance transport, where reducing emissions has proven challenging. Hydrogen can also support the integration of variable renewables in the electricity system, offering a means to store energy over extended periods.
The storage of hydrogen energy is a critical aspect of its utilization. Hydrogen can be stored physically as either a gas or a liquid. Gaseous storage typically requires high-pressure tanks, while liquid storage demands cryogenic temperatures due to hydrogen's extremely low boiling point. Hydrogen's low ambient temperature density presents a challenge in achieving high energy density per unit volume, necessitating the development of advanced storage methods.
The use of nanomaterials has been proposed to enhance storage density and increase the driving range of hydrogen-powered vehicles. Carbonaceous materials such as carbon nanotubes and metal hydrates are being explored for their versatility, multifunctionality, mechanical properties, and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, ammonia, the second most commonly produced chemical, can be reformed to produce hydrogen without harmful waste, offering a carbon-neutral option for hydrogen storage and transportation.
The transportation and distribution of hydrogen are also vital considerations. Ayrton Energy, a Canadian startup, is working on innovative methods to make hydrogen compatible with existing energy infrastructure, such as pipelines, fuel tankers, rail cars, and trucks. Their approach involves a nontoxic, oil-based carrier fluid that enables hydrogenation and dehydrogenation at low temperatures and ambient pressures, making hydrogen safer and more convenient to handle.
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Hydrogen's role in decarbonisation
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can help tackle critical energy challenges. It is currently mostly used for oil refining and chemical production, and is produced from fossil fuels, leading to significant CO2 emissions. However, low-emissions hydrogen produced with renewable or nuclear energy, or fossil fuels using carbon capture, can play an important role in decarbonising sectors where emissions are hard to abate and alternative solutions are unavailable or difficult to implement, such as heavy industry and long-distance transport.
The interest in hydrogen for decarbonisation is not new and can be traced back to the 1970s. However, previous attempts to establish hydrogen as a significant alternative to conventional fossil fuels have not succeeded. Today, there is growing interest in using hydrogen to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries, and its role in decarbonisation is being increasingly recognised.
Low-emissions hydrogen can help to reduce emissions in the refining and chemicals industries, with annual emissions reductions of up to 24% by 2050 if emissions-intensive grey hydrogen is replaced with clean hydrogen. Clean hydrogen can also be used in steelmaking and as fuel for high-temperature heat in cement, aluminium, and glassmaking, with potential emissions reductions of up to 32% by 2050.
However, there are challenges to the widespread adoption of hydrogen for decarbonisation. The production of clean hydrogen using "electrolysers" that split hydrogen from water is costly, and the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like solar and wind means that these electrolysers are not used to their full capacity. Additionally, the maritime transport of hydrogen is costly and inefficient due to its intrinsic physical properties.
To overcome these challenges, faster action is required to create demand for low-emissions hydrogen and unlock investment in production scale-up. Carbon pricing and policies such as auctions, mandates, and quotas can help de-risk investment and improve the economic feasibility of low-emissions hydrogen. Industrial hubs where low-emissions hydrogen can replace unabated fossil-based hydrogen present significant opportunities for decarbonisation.
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Hydrogen's economic feasibility
Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in meeting international energy and climate goals. However, its economic feasibility depends on several factors, including production costs, infrastructure development, and policy support.
One of the critical challenges in the economic feasibility of hydrogen is the cost of production. Currently, the production of hydrogen from natural gas is influenced by technical and economic factors, with fuel costs being the most significant component, accounting for 45-75% of production costs. However, there is growing interest in producing hydrogen through water electrolysis using renewable electricity sources such as solar and wind power. This method has become more economically feasible due to the decreasing costs of renewable energy technologies. Additionally, advancements in electrolysis technologies, such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), have the potential to improve efficiency and further reduce production costs.
The demand for hydrogen is also a crucial factor in its economic feasibility. As demand increases, the production of low-emissions hydrogen in regions with abundant renewable energy resources will become more economically attractive. To stimulate demand, policies such as carbon pricing, auctions, mandates, quotas, and hydrogen-specific requirements in public procurement can be implemented. These policies can help de-risk investment and improve the economic feasibility of low-emissions hydrogen. Additionally, targeted support for shovel-ready flagship projects can help kick-start the scaling-up of low-emissions hydrogen infrastructure and manufacturing capacity.
Another aspect to consider is the infrastructure required for hydrogen production and distribution. Pipelines are the most efficient and cost-effective way to transport hydrogen over long distances, and several countries are already developing plans for new hydrogen pipeline networks. Additionally, as hydrogen applications become more prevalent in sectors where emissions are hard to abate, the economic feasibility of hydrogen will improve.
Furthermore, investments in hydrogen can foster new technological and industrial development, creating skilled jobs and driving economic growth. Governments and renewable electricity suppliers, industrial gas producers, utilities, automakers, oil and gas companies, and engineering firms are all showing stronger interest in hydrogen, recognizing its potential to contribute to a clean and secure energy future.
In conclusion, the economic feasibility of hydrogen depends on a combination of factors, including production costs, demand stimulation, infrastructure development, and supportive policies. With the right conditions and continued advancements, hydrogen has the potential to become a significant component of a clean, safe, and economically sustainable future.
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Frequently asked questions
Electricity can be climate neutral when it is generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, which are considered "clean" sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases when used.
Hydrogen can be climate neutral when produced with renewable or nuclear energy, or with fossil fuels using carbon capture. This type of low-emissions hydrogen is sometimes referred to as \"green\" hydrogen.
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier that can be used to decarbonize sectors where it has been difficult to reduce emissions, such as heavy industry and long-distance transport. It is also easily transportable and can be stored for long periods of time.
