How to use green hydrogen? Some countries are already producing it

Decarbonizing the planet (eliminating the use of fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions that pollute the atmosphere) is one of the goals that countries around the world have set for 2050. To achieve this, decarbonize the production of an element such as hydrogen , giving rise to green hydrogen, is one of the keys.

Our way of life needs an increasing number of watts to function. The latest estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA), published at the end of 2019, forecast that global energy demand will increase between 25% and 30% by 2040, which in an economy dependent on coal and oil would mean more CO2, exacerbating climate change. However, decarbonizing the planet suggests a different world in 2050: one that is more accessible, efficient and sustainable, and powered by clean energy such as green hydrogen.

The main human activity that emits CO2 is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) to generate energy and for transportation purposes, although certain industrial processes and changes in land use also emit CO2.

What is it and how do you get it?

Also known as renewable hydrogen or e-Hydrogen, green hydrogen is a technology based on the generation of hydrogen – a universal, light and highly reactive fuel – through a chemical process known as electrolysis. This method uses an electrical current to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water. If this electricity is obtained from renewable sources, therefore, energy will be produced without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As the IEA points out, this method of obtaining green hydrogen it would save the 830 million tons of CO2 that are emitted annually when this gas is produced from fossil fuels. Also, replacing all the gray hydrogen in the world would require 3,000 TWh/year (terawatt-hour) of new renewable energy, equivalent to the current demand in Europe. However, there are some doubts about the viability of green hydrogen due to its high production cost; Reasonable doubts that will disappear as the decarbonization of the earth progresses and, consequently, renewable energy generation becomes cheaper.

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in nature. As the IEA points out, the global demand for hydrogen for use as fuel has tripled since 1975 and reached 70 million tons per year in 2018. In addition, it is a clean energy source that only emits water vapor and leaves no residue in the environment, air, unlike coal and oil.

Hydrogen has a long-standing relationship with industry. This gas has been used as a fuel for cars, aircraft, and spacecraft since the early 19th century.

The decarbonization of the world economy, a process that cannot be postponed, will give more prominence to hydrogen. In addition, if its production costs drop by 50% by 2030, as forecast by the World Hydrogen Council, without a doubt humanity is facing one of the fuels of the future.

The challenge is immense. Temperatures are already 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), just rising another 0.5 C could have devastating effects.

Advantages and disadvantages

Green hydrogen has pros and cons that need to be known. Among the most important good points are:

• 100% sustainable: green hydrogen does not emit polluting gases either during combustion or during production.
• storable: Hydrogen is easy to store, which allows it to be used later for other purposes and at times other than those immediately after its production.
• Versatile: green hydrogen can be transformed into electricity or synthetic gas and used for domestic, commercial, industrial or mobility purposes.
• Transportable: It can be mixed with natural gas in proportions of up to 20% and travel through the same gas pipelines and infrastructures. Increasing this percentage, it would be necessary to change different elements of the existing gas networks to make them compatible.

However, green hydrogen also has negative aspects that should be taken into account:

High cost: Power from renewable sources, which are key to generating green hydrogen through electrolysis, is more expensive to generate, which in turn makes hydrogen more expensive to source.

High energy consumption: The production of hydrogen in general and green hydrogen in particular requires more energy than other fuels.

Security issues: Hydrogen is a highly volatile and flammable element and therefore extensive safety measures are required to prevent leaks and explosions.

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its impact

Hydrogen as a fuel is a reality in countries like the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany. Others like Japan go even further and aspire to become a hydrogen economy. Its impact in the future will be:

• Generator of electricity and drinking water: These two elements are made by reacting hydrogen and oxygen together in a fuel cell. This process has been very useful in space missions, for example, by providing water and electricity to the crews in a sustainable way.
• Energy store: Compressed hydrogen tanks are capable of storing energy for long periods of time and are also easier to handle than lithium-ion batteries because they are lighter.
• Transport and mobility: The great versatility of hydrogen allows its use in those consumption niches that are very difficult to decarbonise, such as heavy transport, aviation and maritime transport. There are already several projects underway in this field, such as Hycarus and Cryoplane, which are promoted by the European Union (EU) and aim to introduce it in passenger aircraft.

The pioneers

Oil companies such as Repsol, BP and Shell are among the companies that have launched green hydrogen projects. And several nations have published national production plans for this renewable fuel.

This includes the European Union (EU), which in its Hydrogen strategy for a climate neutral Europereleased in mid-2020, committed to investing $430 billion in green hydrogen between now and 2030. Other countries leading green hydrogen production include: Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia and Chileaccording to a publication of the BBC.

Colombia and Brazil are also doing their thing. Last week, the Colombian government launched its first electrolyser in Cartagena de Indias, with which it seeks to produce green hydrogen, as part of a project for the country to become the main exporter of this fuel in Latin America by 2030.

And the Brazilian state of Ceará increased the green hydrogen pole and solar energy parks through the Brazilian companies H2 Green Power and Kroma Energia, when they announced investments for the production of this energy in northeastern Brazil a week ago.