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Green hydrogen

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Green hydrogen is hydrogen that is generated entirely by renewable energy.[1] Green hydrogen has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen, which is produced by steam reforming of natural gas and represents 95% of the market. Certified green hydrogen requires an emission reduction of >60-70% (depending on the certification body) below the benchmark emissions intensity threshold (= GHG emissions of grey hydrogen, for example benchmark values according to the renewable energy directive RED II). [2][3][4]

There are several ways to produce green hydrogen:

Production via electrolysis of water

Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water using electricity generated from low-carbon sources.

The high cost of production is the main factor behind the low use of green hydrogen. Nonetheless, the United States Department of Energy forecasts that the hydrogen market is expected to grow, with the cost of hydrogen production falling from $6/kg in 2015 to as low as $2/kg by 2025.[7] The price of $2/kg is considered a potential tipping point that will make green hydrogen competitive against other fuel sources. Siemens has already developed offshore wind turbines which are equipped for a hydrogen blend and, consequently help increase production of green hydrogen.[8]

The majority of hydrogen produced globally in 2020 is derived from fossil fuel sources with 99% of hydrogen fuel coming from carbon-based sources, and is not green hydrogen.[9]

Uses

According to BloombergNEF "hydrogen offers the greatest potential to decarbonize difficult-to-abate sectors like steel, cement and heavy duty transport."[10]

Transport

Hydrogen can be used as a hydrogen fuel for fuel cells or internal combustion engines. Hydrogen vehicles are not limited to automobiles, with trucks also being designed to run on green hydrogen. In 2020, major European companies announced plans to switch their truck fleets to hydrogen power.[11] Additionally, hydrogen-powered aircraft are already being designed by Airbus, with a planned release of the first commercial aircraft by 2035.[12] Nevertheless, Airbus has warned that hydrogen will not be widely used on aircraft before 2050.[13]

Heating

Hydrogen can be used for cooking and heating within homes. Hydrogen heating is expected to power most UK homes by 2050. The British government intends to launch demonstration projects to show how the fuel can power regions containing hundreds of homes.[14]

Natural gas industry

Natural gas infrastructure could possibly become a roadblock if countries intend to become carbon neutral. As a result many countries are considering using the current gas infrastructure to transport hydrogen.[15] While making gas pipelines carry hydrogen is feasible, it also presents challenges, as many pipelines and their equipment would have to be altered for the new fuel.[16] A pilot program in Cappelle-la-Grande‚ France has already mixed hydrogen into the gas grid of 100 homes. Natural gas-fired power plants can also be converted to burn hydrogen serving to provide backup power during periods of high demand.[17]

Economy

As of 2020, the global hydrogen market was valued at $150 billion and expected to reach $600 billion by 2050. According to analysts at Fitch Solutions, the global hydrogen market could jump to 10% by 2030.[18] The number of investments in green hydrogen has risen from almost none in 2020 to 121 gigawatts across 136 projects in planning and development phases totalling over $500 billion in 2021. Companies across countries have formed alliances to increase production of the fuel fifty fold in the next six years.[19]

Australia

In Australia, green hydrogen has cost twice as much as conventional hydrogen and blue hydrogen, but a 2020 Australian National University report estimated that Australia could be producing it for much cheaper, even currently, and it could equal the price of conventional and blue hydrogen (at about A$2 per kilogram) by 2030, which would be cost-competitive with fossil fuels. An energy market analyst suggested in early 2021 that the price of green hydrogen would drop 70% over the coming 10 years in countries which have cheap renewable energy.[20] In 2020, the government fast tracked approval for the world's largest planned renewable energy export facility in the Pilbara region. The following year, energy companies announced plans to construct a "hydrogen valley" in New South Wales at a cost of $2 billion which would replace the region's coal industry.[21]

Asia

China

China is the leader of the global hydrogen market with an output of 20 million tons, accounting for ⅓ of global production. Sinopec aims to generate 500,000 tonnes of green hydrogen by 2025.[22] Researchers from the Harvard China Project have indicated that hydrogen generated from wind energy could provide a cost effective alternative for coal-dependent regions like Inner Mongolia.[23]

Japan

In order to become carbon neutral, the Japanese government intends to transform the nation into a "hydrogen society".[24] The energy demand in Japan would require the government to import 36 million tons of liquefied hydrogen. The nation's commercial imports are projected to be 100 times less than this amount by 2030, when the use of the fuel is expected to commence, which represents a serious challenge. Japan has published a preliminary road map that called for hydrogen and related fuels to supply 10% of the power for electricity generation as well as a significant portion of the energy for other uses like shipping and steel manufacture by 2050.[25]

The country has created a hydrogen highway consisting of 135 subsidized hydrogen fuels stations and plans to construct 1,000 by the end of the decade.[26][27]

Oman

A consortium of companies have announced a $30 billion project in Oman which would become one of the largest hydrogen facilities in the world. Construction will begin in 2028 and by 2038 the project will be powered by 25 GW of wind and solar energy.[28]

United Arab Emirates

In 2021 in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai a pilot project was launched which is the first "industrial scale", solar-driven green hydrogen facility in the Middle East and North Africa."[29]

South Korea

In October 2020, the South Korean government announced its plan to introduce the Clean Hydrogen Energy Portfolio Standards (CHPS) that emphasizes the use of clean hydrogen. During the introduction of the Hydrogen Energy Portfolio Standard (HPS), it voted by the 2nd Hydrogen Economy Committee. In addition, in March 2021, the 3rd Hydrogen Economy Committee was held to pass a plan to introduce a clean hydrogen certification system based on incentives and obligations for clean hydrogen.[30]

In June 2021, Hyundai Engineering signed a mutual business agreement with POSCO, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Uljin-gun, Pohang University, Pohang Institute of Industrial Science and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. It plans to secure MMR technology competitiveness and revitalize the hydrogen economy through cooperation such as developing hot hydrogen production technology, developing hot water electrolytic technology, and commercializing nuclear power.[31]

European Union

In July 2020 the European Union unveiled the Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe with the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by incorporating hydrogen into the EU plans. A motion backing this strategy passed the European Parliament the next year.[32] The plan will be divided in three phases.[33] The first one, from 2020 to 2024, will aim at decarbonising all esisting hydrogen production. The second phase (2024-2030) will integrate green hydrogen into the energy system. The third phase (2030 to 2050) will see a large-scale deployment of hydrogen in the decarbonization process. Goldman Sachs estimates hydrogen will be 15% of the EU energy mix by 2050.[34] Six European Union member states: Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, requested hydrogen funding be backed by legislation.[35] Germany has already invested €9 billion to construct 5 GW of hydrogen capacity by 2030.[36] Many member countries have created plans to import hydrogen from other nations, especially from North Africa.[37] These plans would increase hydrogen production, however they have also been accused of trying to export the necessary changes needed within Europe.[38] The European Union has required that starting 2021 all new gas turbines made in the bloc must be equipped ready to burn a hydrogen–natural gas blend.[17]

In February 2021, thirty companies announced a pioneering project to provide hydrogen based in Spain. The project intends to start in 2022, creating 93 GW of solar and 67 GW of electrolysis capacity by the end of the decade.[39] In April 2021, Portugal announced plans to construct the first solar-powered plant to produce hydrogen by 2023.[40] Lisbon based energy company Galp Energia has also announced plans to construct an electrolyser to power its refinery by 2025.[41]

Latin America

In November 2020 Chile's president presented the "National Strategy for Green Hydrogen," stating he wanted Chile to become "the most efficient green hydrogen producer in the world by 2030".[42] The plan includes HyEx, a project to make solar based hydrogen for use in the mining industry.[43]

United Kingdom

In 2021, the British government published its policy document, a "Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution," which included investing to create 5 GW of low carbon hydrogen by 2030.[14] The plans include work with the industry to complete the necessary testing that would allow up to 20% blending of hydrogen into the gas distribution grid for all homes on the gas grid by 2023. One offshore wind proposal in Scotland includes plans to convert oil and gas rigs into a "green hydrogen hub" which would supply fuel to local distilleries.[44] In June 2021 Equinor announced plans to triple UK hydrogen production.[45]

United States

During his State of the Union address George W. Bush unveiled a $1.2 billion plan to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicles dubbing it "freedom fuel". This funding was reduced in 2009 by Barack Obama.[46][47]

In June 2021, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced plans in line with the Biden administration's pledge of cutting the cost of green hydrogen production.[48] In 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was planning the first demonstration of a hydrogen network in Texas.[49] The Department had previously attempted a hydrogen project known as Hydrogen Energy California. Texas is considered a key part of green hydrogen projects in the country as the state is the largest domestic producer of hydrogen and already has a hydrogen pipeline network.[50] In 2020, SGH2 Energy Global announced plans to use plastic and paper via plasma gasification to produce green hydrogen near Los Angeles.[51] In 2021, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $290 million investment to construct a green hydrogen fuel production facility.[52] Authorities in the state have also backed plans for developing fuel cells to be used in trucks and research on blending hydrogen into the gas grid.[53]

Research and development

Albeit multiple the green hydrogen technologies already exist, there is ongoing research and development for novel technological pathways for "green hydrogen". For instance, in 2020 scientists reported the development of micro-droplets for algal cells or synergistic algal-bacterial multicellular spheroid microbial reactors capable of producing oxygen as well as hydrogen via photosynthesis in daylight under air.[54][55] In 2020, the European Commission adopted a new dedicated strategy on hydrogen in the EU which includes research and innovation in line with the European Green Deal.[56] The "European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center" is tasked with developing a €100 billion a year green hydrogen economy by 2025.[57]

See also

References

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