Stop the color madness - H2 Newsletter October 11, 2023
Why the color scheme for hydrogen should be revamped. Plus: Kenya is building the country's first hydrogen plant.
Hydrogen is still a relatively new player in the new energy field. The news and headlines surrounding hydrogen are increasing and a lot of money is being invested in research. But hydrogen has not yet reached the general public – and there is already a kind of “green washing” campaign surrounding hydrogen. This includes, above all, the colors that are assigned to the different types of hydrogen production.
Green, pink, white, brown, blue, gray, yellow - all of these colors (and more) represent hydrogen, but they don't mean the same thing. Because some types of hydrogen production are anything but CO2-free or sustainable. Brown hydrogen is obtained from coal, which is burned in the process. Even if this hydrogen currently makes up the lion's share of production, it cannot be the future.
Gray hydrogen is also not climate-neutral because it uses gas and the emissions are not captured during production. The production of blue hydrogen works like gray hydrogen: Hydrogen is split off from methane (CH4) with the byproduct CO2. However, the carbon dioxide is not disposed of in the atmosphere, but rather pressed underground. This is basically climate-friendly, as long as the compressed CO2 is gone forever and is not released back into the fresh air.
However, this is doubted; a US study came to the conclusion that greenhouse emissions were only nine to twelve percent lower than with gray hydrogen. There is also the question of how safely the CO2 is stored underground and how many storage facilities can actually be set up. The long-term aspects are also difficult to assess. Quite a few researchers warn of an oversaturation of the upper layers of the earth with CO2.
Pink hydrogen, which is produced using nuclear energy, is also controversial. While there are no CO2 emissions during production, the question arises as to how to deal with nuclear waste. To date, there is no solution for the final storage of spent fuel rods. So far, there is only one final storage facility in the world, in Finland; all other countries have their fuel rods in interim storage facilities.
Another borderline question is white hydrogen. White hydrogen is natural or native hydrogen. Unlike green or gray hydrogen that we produce, it is not the result of a transformation from gas or electrolysis. The iron minerals underground have the ability to separate oxygen from hydrogen in water molecules by absorbing it. In very deep geological layers, there is no oxygen left. Thus, the deeper you explore, the more chances you have of finding hydrogen.
The as-of-yet unsolved problem lies in how to reach significant depths without generating additional CO2. Another concern is that the existing quantities must be extracted from the rock, a technology not dissimilar to fracking, which is quite controversial.
So when industries today talk about using hydrogen, you have to listen carefully and ask what type of hydrogen they actually mean. This may be simple for experts, but for outside observers who do not know the complex color code, it is more than confusing.
You should stop using so many colors because basically, there are only two types of energy: those that are sustainable and those that are not because the production produces CO2. Accordingly, one could continue to speak of green hydrogen, but call unsustainable hydrogen “black hydrogen”. It would make categorization easier.
The most exciting links of the week:
Is waste to hydrogen a form of green energy?
That which is considered to be green H2 usually uses organic waste as its energy production feedstock, while capturing and commercializing any carbon emissions produced. As a result, the outcome is often labeled as carbon-neutral and therefore green. But there is a catch.
https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/is-waste-to-hydrogen-green-energy/8561027/
Hydrogen fuel cells ‘dependable’ for powering data centers
Hydrogen fuel cells have emerged as a potentially dependable solution for powering data centers, according to new research from Equinix and the National University of Singapore. Developing alternative renewable power sources is vital for maintaining uptime in data centers, ensuring uninterrupted global connectivity and business continuity.
Iveco Group and Hyundai Motor Company Unveil a New Hydrogen City Bus
The E-WAY H2 is a 12-meter-long low-floor city bus. It is equipped with a 310-kW e-motor and an advanced fuel cell system provided by HTWO, a fuel cell system-based hydrogen business brand of Hyundai Motor Group. With four tanks offering a combined storage of 7.8 kg of hydrogen and one 69 kWh battery pack by FPT Industrial – Iveco Group’s brand specializing in powertrain technologies – the vehicle offers a driving range of 450 km under normal operating conditions.
HDF Energy to Build Kenya’s First Green Hydrogen Power Plant
HDF Energy, a developer of large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and manufacturer of high-power fuel cells, has announced the start of development studies for the first green hydrogen power plant in Kenya. The plant will be located in the coastal region and will be a significant milestone in Kenya’s transition to clean energy.
https://energynews.biz/hdf-energy-to-build-kenyas-first-green-hydrogen-power-plant/
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