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Bruce Ofori, Sales Development Manager for ESG at Emerson, recently published an article in the February 2023 issue of H₂Tech. It is titled “The Hydrogen Economy,” and it describes how hydrogen is rapidly developing as a green energy resource. The article is summarized below:

Hydrogen has played a key role in industry for decades. It enabled Apollo 11 to reach the moon in 1969, and 50 years later it is playing a significant role in the world’s energy policy by decarbonizing supply sources and addressing the pressing challenges of global warming. This article discusses the benefits and challenges posed by H₂, and the steps governments and companies are taking to bring the H₂ economy to fruition.

The benefits of H₂. H₂ provides viable solutions to a number of challenges. Its advantages include:

• H₂ is well-understood and already used in many industries today, albeit usually not for ESG purposes.
• H₂ fuel cells generate electricity and emit only water.
• H₂ offers an economic means of storing energy to level the production from variable energy sources, like wind and solar.
• H₂ provides enough energy density to handle applications that are difficult to address with battery storage.
• Large amounts of H₂ are already being used by many industries. The bulk of this H₂ is synthesized from natural gas, but the resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be eliminated using hydrogen created by electrolyzers.
• The simple act of blending clean H₂ with natural gas in existing distribution systems has immediate environmental benefits.

H₂ challenges. H₂ poses challenges, for example with seal leaks and metallurgical effects, however the gas is commonly used in many industrial processes, so these issues are well understood. The author describes a key issue that remains:

Clean H₂’s chief problem has been its cost because it has historically been much cheaper to generate H₂ from hydrocarbons, stymieing the growth of alternate green options. This cost differential has been the biggest reason a green H₂ economy has been slow to develop.

A changing environment. The worldwide focus on GHG emissions and clean energy alternatives has placed H₂ in the spotlight. Numerous researchers are seeking to optimize H₂ technologies, and companies are building the infrastructure necessary to safely generate, transport and utilize H₂. Figure 1 provides a good overview of the effort required to make a H₂ economy a reality.

Figure 1: The H2 economy requires advancement in each area of the value chain. (Click to enlarge)

Ongoing efforts. Both global governments and the private sector are working hard to make the H₂ economy a reality. Advances in electrolyzer design and fuel cell technology continue to improve the efficiency and cost position of green H₂ production. Companies are moving beyond words and improving H₂ production by taking advantage of incentives for targeted industries, financially supporting pivotal organizations, and supplying equipment that enables the latest technologies to be efficiently utilized.

The author concludes:

The most productive efforts will include a mix of short- and long-term strategies. Short-term changes, like green H₂/natural gas blending, offer immediate decarbonization benefits that can be implemented now. Longer term improvements in green H₂ generation and H₂ storage/transport infrastructure will enable significant GHG reduction in the future.

Visit the Accelerating the Transition to a Hydrogen Future section on Emerson.com for more on the technologies and solutions to increase hydrogen’s role in the global energy mix.

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