The are in the middle of the energy transition hydrogen It is seen as one of the most promising options at the moment. However, the world is deeply disappointed. It may be impossible to produce it even after the incredible discovery of hydrogen in its natural state beneath the Earth.
He hydrogenespecially green (which comes from renewable energy sources) is one of the most promising alternatives to decarbonize difficult sectors, such as heavy industry, freight or rail transport and some chemical procedures.
H as a fuel has been available for several years as an alternative for industrial use. Now the so-called green hydrogenis central as a result of the energy transition. “He hydrogen and energy have a long shared history. It is light, storable, has a high energy density and produces no direct emissions of pollutants or greenhouse gases,” they say in the report. The future of hydrogen of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
‘But for him it is hydrogen “Making a significant contribution to the energy transition should be applied in sectors where this is absent, such as transport, buildings and energy generation,” they add. While many see it as a crucial energy vector for the moment humanity is living in, the future of H is full of challenges.
Hydrogen is disappointing: we may never use it
Drought has become the biggest threat to the development of green H. According to the website Green hydrogen in August last year, in USAone fifth of renewable H projects are carried out in areas with water scarcity.
In the case of Spainthe water scarcity areas designated as H project points correspond to half. A place in the world with great potential for green hydrogen Africawith sufficient capacity to produce up to 50 million tons per year.
Even though he green hydrogen is gaining popularity as futuristic energy, it would not represent more than 2% of European energy consumption in 2022, according to data from the European Commission. Furthermore, 96% of that H was generated with natural gas, a fuel that gives off significant amounts of CO2.
A hydrogen factory in the desert Sonora, Arizonahas exposed the problem of climate change in the implementation of these types of initiatives. The plant works with wind and solar energy, which generates energy hydrogen for trucks from a groundwater source, a process that is not entirely sustainable.
Experts say that if the excess water is not pumped back to the water source, the plant could consume up to 1.2 billion liters of water, which would disappear.
Hydrogen production decreases due to the drought
This is just one of the current initiatives USA to generate green H. 18 of the projects require significant amounts of fresh water. On the other hand, four of them are located in areas considered to have high or very high water stress.
The same happens in other parts of the world, where the majority of H’s proposals are located in areas of this typology, such as Middle East. In these places the demand for water is greater than what is available. It is estimated that drought will affect three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
In the case of the Spanish territory, almost half of the approved or ongoing renewable H projects in 2040 will be implemented at points of high water stress. Furthermore, currently more than 35% of global green H projects are already located in high water areas. tension.
This situation has disappointed millions of people who placed bets hydrogen. However, discoveries continue to emerge that point to a glimmer of hope, such as the largest hydrogen mine on Earth.