It talks about green hydrogen, as a hopeful element on the road to a low-carbon economy. Hydrogen is the most common chemical element in nature. But it takes a chemical process to generate it and convert it into energy. The idea is to produce green hydrogenthat is, the one that is sustainable, because it relies on renewable energy and does not pollute during the production process.
The fuel is used as fuel green hydrogen It’s clean and competitive. It contributes to the decarbonization of “non-electrical” consumption. Reduces energy independence from external supply. And it is a good alternative to the inconsistency of the usual renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, thanks to seasonal storage.
The colors of hydrogen
The bet on green hydrogen is not new. In fact, hydrogen is a molecule that looks promising. However, it is talked about a lot hydrogen colors, which can be blue, green, gray and even yellow. Even for a specialist in the sector, it is not always easy to understand what causes this difference in tone.
The color associated with hydrogen depends on the overall production method. To date, more than 95% of global hydrogen production depends on the combustion of fossil fuels. That implies a huge amount of emissions greenhouse gases. This is gray hydrogen. And of course it is the cheapest to produce. Much more than the green hydrogen.
By capturing greenhouse gases it is possible to produce blue hydrogen. This has a double positive effect. The amount of CO2 of the atmosphere. And a high-quality fuel raw material is obtained. But the system is still polluting. And much more expensive than gray hydrogen, but less than green hydrogen.
It can also be produced by electrolysis. This consists of breaking down water using an electric current to separate hydrogen and oxygen. When the primary energy source is of renewable origin, it is called green hydrogen. But it is still 4 to 5 times more expensive than gray hydrogen.
Hydrogen colors are only used by the press, the socio-economic world and certain industries. The academic and scientific world does not refer to these notions of color. For them, hydrogen, whether it is produced from natural gas, biomass, water and with the contribution of renewable energy or fossils, it’s still the same molecule.
Green hydrogen value chain
As part of the EU’s 2050 zero emissions target, the production of green hydrogen. To achieve this, work is carried out throughout the entire value chain of this element. Both at the level of production, distribution and storage. In addition, when designing migration projects. And in the search for the necessary financing for its implementation.
In this way, an attempt is made to achieve a decarbonization of energy-intensive industry. But also in heavy and long-distance transport. At the same time, there is a commitment to infrastructure development. An essential step to ensure that the green hydrogen be both profitable and efficient.
Green hydrogen in electricity production
The electricity industry is undoubtedly one of the first to be interested in the production and deployment of the green hydrogen. Several strategies also aim to integrate energy into the energy mix to address the sector’s challenges while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Him, for example green hydrogen can be used as an energy source for electricity production in fuel cells or power plants. With these technologies, hydrogen energy can be converted into electricity without CO2 emissions. Furthermore, fuel cells, especially proton exchange membrane cells (PEMFCs), are particularly suitable for use in hydrogen-electric cars and decentralized power generation systems.
Likewise, it is worth noting that the green hydrogen provides and contributes to a large-scale, long-term energy and storage solution to the flexibility and resilience of electrical networks. In times of surplus renewable energy, the excess electricity can be used for production green hydrogen via electrolysis. Once stored, the latter can be converted into electricity during periods of high demand or low production to help stabilize the grid.