Current:Home > StocksWhat is green hydrogen and why is it touted as a clean fuel?-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
What is green hydrogen and why is it touted as a clean fuel?
View Date:2024-12-23 23:06:14
BENGALURU, India (AP) — Green hydrogen is being touted around the world as a clean energy solution to take the carbon out of high-emitting sectors like transport and industrial manufacturing.
The India-led International Solar Alliance launched the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre earlier this year, and India itself approved $2.3 billion for the production, use and export of green hydrogen. Global cooperation on green hydrogen manufacturing and supply is expected to be discussed by G-20 leaders at this week’s summit in New Delhi.
WHAT IS GREEN HYDROGEN?
Hydrogen is produced by separating that element from others in molecules where hydrogen occurs. For example, water — well known by its chemical symbol of H20, or two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom — can be split into those component atoms through electrolysis.
Hydrogen has been produced and used at scale for over a century, primarily to make fertilizers and plastics and to refine oil. It has mostly been produced using fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
But when the production is powered by renewable energy, the resulting hydrogen is green hydrogen.
The global market for green hydrogen is expected to reach $410 billion by 2030, according to analysts, which would more than double its current market size.
However, critics say the fuel is not always viable at scale and its ‘green’ credentials are determined by the source of energy used to produce it.
WHAT CAN GREEN HYDROGEN BE USED FOR?
Green hydrogen can have a variety of uses in industries such as steelmaking, concrete production and manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers. It can also be used to generate electricity, as a fuel for transport and to heat homes and offices. Today, hydrogen is primarily used in refining petrol and manufacturing fertilizers. While petrol would have no use in a fossil fuel-free world, emissions from making fertilizer — essential to grow crops that feed the world — can be reduced by using green hydrogen.
Francisco Boshell, an energy analyst at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, is optimistic about green hydrogen’s role in the transition to clean energy, especially in cases where energy from renewables like solar and wind can’t practically be stored and used via battery — like aviation, shipping and some industrial processes.
He said hydrogen’s volatility — it’s highly flammable and requires special pipelines for safe transport — means most green hydrogen will likely be used close to where it is made.
ARE THERE DOUBTS ABOUT GREEN HYDROGEN?
That flammability plus transport issues limit hydrogen’s use in “dispersed applications” such as residential heating, according to a report by the Energy Transitions Commission, a coalition of energy leaders committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. It also is less efficient than direct electrification as some energy is lost when renewables are converted to hydrogen and then the hydrogen is converted again to power, the report said.
That report noted strong potential for hydrogen as an alternative to batteries for energy storage at large scale and for long periods.
Other studies have questioned the high cost of production, investment risks, greater need for water than other clean power and the lack of international standards that hinders a global market.
Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who also sits on New York’s Climate Action Council, said green hydrogen is being oversold in part due to lobbying by the oil and gas industry.
Boshell, of the International Renewable Energy Agency, disagreed. His organization has projected hydrogen demand will grow to 550 million tons by 2050, up from the current 100 million tons.
The International Energy Agency says production of hydrogen is responsible for around 830 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Boshell said just replacing this so-called gray hydrogen — hydrogen produced from fossil fuels — would ensure a long-term market for green hydrogen.
“The first thing we have to do is start replacing the existing demand for gray hydrogen. And then we can add additional demand and applications of green hydrogen as a fuel for industries, shipping and aviation,” he said.
___
Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about AP’s climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Inside Dream Kardashian's Sporty 8th Birthday Party
- LL Flooring, formerly Lumber Liquidators, closing all 400-plus stores amid bankruptcy
- Nevada’s only Native American youth shelter gets lifeline as it fights for survival
- Michigan judge loses docket after she’s recorded insulting gays and Black people
- 2025 NFL mock draft: QBs Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward crack top five
- Watchdogs ask judge to remove from Utah ballots a measure that would boost lawmakers’ power
- Montana Gov. Gianforte’s foundation has given away $57 million since 2017. Here’s where it went.
- Police say 2 children were found dead inside a vehicle in Oklahoma
- Deion Sanders says he would prevent Shedeur Sanders from going to wrong team in NFL draft
- How to talk with kids about school shootings and other traumatic events
Ranking
- Tesla issues 6th Cybertruck recall this year, with over 2,400 vehicles affected
- Canadian para surfer Victoria Feige fights to get her sport included in 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics
- Rumor Has It, Behr’s New 2025 Color of the Year Pairs Perfectly With These Home Decor Finds Under $50
- Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall Reacts to Husband Hunter Woodhall's Gold Medal Win at Paris Paralympic Games
- Today's Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb: Everything to Know About the Beloved Anchor
- Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall Reacts to Husband Hunter Woodhall's Gold Medal Win at Paris Paralympic Games
- Ben Affleck Flashes Huge Smile in Los Angeles Same Day Jennifer Lopez Attends Red Carpet in Toronto
- Nebraska is evolving with immigration spurring growth in many rural counties
Recommendation
-
Republican Scott Baugh concedes to Democrat Dave Min in critical California House race
-
Detroit Lions host Los Angeles Rams in first Sunday Night Football game of 2024 NFL season
-
Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei’s Father Shares Heartbreaking Plea After Her Death From Gasoline Attack
-
Cinnamon Toast Crunch collabs with Hormel's Black Label in sweet and salty bacon launch
-
Chris Evans Shares Thoughts on Starting a Family With Wife Alba Baptista
-
Hundreds of places in the US said racism was a public health crisis. What’s changed?
-
Watchdogs ask judge to remove from Utah ballots a measure that would boost lawmakers’ power
-
'The Bachelorette' boasted an empowered Asian American lead — then tore her down