Green Hydrogen: A Fuel for Future

By Ruchi | 15 January 2023

"There can be no sustainable development without the sustainable energy

development."

~Margot Wallstorm

De-carbonising the planet is one of the goals that countries around the world have set for

2050. To achieve this, decarbonising the production of an element like hydrogen, giving rise

to green hydrogen, is one of the keys as this is currently responsible for more than 2 % of

total global CO2 emissions.

Our way of life needs an increasing amount of watts to function. The latest estimates by the

International Energy Agency (IEA), published at the end of 2019, predict that global energy

demand will increase by between 25 % and 30 % by 2040, which in an economy dependent

on coal and oil would mean more CO2, exacerbating climate change. However,

decarbonising the planet suggests a different world in 2050: one that is more accessible,

efficient and sustainable, and driven by clean energies such as green hydrogen.

WHAT IS GREEN HYDROGEN AND HOW IS IT OBTAINED?

This technology is based on the generation of hydrogen — a universal, light and highly reactive fuel — through a chemical process known as electrolysis. This method uses an electrical current to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in water. If this electricity is obtained from renewable sources we will, therefore, produce energy without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As the IEA points out, this method of obtaining green hydrogen would save the 830 million tonnes of CO2 that are emitted annually when this gas is produced using fossil fuels. Likewise, replacing all grey hydrogen in the world would require 3,000 TWh/year from new renewables — equivalent to current demand of Europe. However, there are some questions about the viability of green hydrogen because of its high production cost; reasonable doubts that will disappear as the de-carbonisation of the earth progresses and, consequently, the generation of renewable energy becomes cheaper.

HYDROGEN AS A CLEAN FUEL

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in nature. As noted by the IEA, the global demand for hydrogen for use as a fuel has tripled since 1975 and reached 70 million tonnes a year in 2018. In addition, green hydrogen is a clean energy source that only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air, unlike coal and oil.

Hydrogen has a long-standing relationship with industry. This gas has been used to fuel cars, airships and spaceships since the beginning of the 19th century. The decarbonisation of the world economy, a process that cannot be postponed, will give hydrogen more prominence. In addition, if its production costs fall by 50 % by 2030, as predicted by the World Hydrogen Council, we will undoubtedly be looking at one of the fuels of the future.

This energy source has pros and cons that we must be aware of. Let's go over some of its most important good points:

•100 % sustainable: green hydrogen does not emit polluting gases either during combustion or during production.

•Storable: hydrogen is easy to store, which allows it to be used subsequently for other purposes and at times other than immediately after its production.

•Versatile: green hydrogen can be transformed into electricity or synthetic gas and used for commercial, industrial or mobility purposes.

However, green hydrogen also has negative aspects that should be borne in mind:

•High cost: energy from renewable sources, which are key to generating green hydrogen through electrolysis, is more expensive to generate, which in turn makes hydrogen more expensive to obtain.

•High energy consumption: the production of hydrogen in general and green hydrogen in particular requires more energy than other fuels.

•Safety issues: hydrogen is a highly volatile and flammable element and extensive safety measures are therefore required to prevent leakage and explosions.

IMPACT OF GREEN HYDROGEN

Hydrogen as a fuel is a reality in countries like the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany. Others like Japan are going even further and aspire to become a hydrogen economy. Below we explain what the impact will be in the future:

-Electricity and drinking water generator

These two elements are obtained by reacting hydrogen and oxygen together in a fuel cell. This process has proved very useful on space missions, for example, by providing crews with water and electricity in a sustainable manner.

- Energy storage

Compressed hydrogen tanks are capable of storing energy for long periods of time and are also easier to handle than lithium-ion batteries because they are lighter.

-Transport and mobility

Hydrogen's great versatility allows it to be used in those consumption niches that are very difficult to decarbonise, such as heavy transport, aviation and maritime transport. There are already several projects under way in this area, such as Hycarus and Cryoplane, which are promoted by the European Union (EU) and aim to introduce it in passenger aircraft.

INDIA AND IT'S GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION

In order to meet the demand of net zero carbon emissions by 2070 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the industrialists to switch to green hydrogen as a fuel for Future which is seen as an environmentally friendly fuel .For this a mission has been launched called National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The intent of the mission is to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel. The mission has laid out a target to develop green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) per annum. This is alongside adding renewable energy capacity of about 125 GW (gigawatt) in the country. This will entail the decarbonisation of the industrial, mobility and energy sectors; reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock; developing indigenous manufacturing capabilities; creating employment opportunities; and developing new technologies such as efficient fuel cells.

By 2030, the Centre hopes its investments will bring in investments worth ₹8 trillion and create over six lakh jobs. Moreover, about 50 MMT per annum of CO2 emissions are expected to be averted by 2030. As per its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, India has committed to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from 2005 levels.

HOW WILL THE MISSION SUPPORT GREEN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION?

The Mission will “facilitate demand creation, production, utilisation and export of Green Hydrogen,” says a press release from the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy. There are two umbrella sub-missions under the programme. The first is the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), that will fund the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and produce green hydrogen. The second is to support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways. States and regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilisation of hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs. According to the Ministry, ₹17,490 crore would be for the SIGHT programme, ₹1,466 crore for pilot projects and hydrogen hubs, ₹400 crore for research and development and ₹388 crore for other parts of the mission.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AHEAD?

Several major industrial houses have announced plans to facilitate India’s adoption of green hydrogen. However, they are all premised on India being able to access a reliable stream of components, upgrading the manufacturing and skill levels of its small and medium manufacturing enterprises and developing a transmission network that can supply the hydrogen produced from supply-spots to industrial centres across the country. Many advanced economies have also announced plans and policies to develop such an economy and given their advanced industrial infrastructure, can steal a march over India.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a ₹19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen mission that aims to make India a ‘global hub’ for using, producing and exporting green hydrogen.Green hydrogen is when hydrogen is produced via electrolysis, the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. This is the most environmentally sustainable way of producing hydrogen.The intent of the mission is to incentivise the commercial production of green hydrogen and make India a net exporter of the fuel.By 2030, the Centre hopes its investments will bring in investments worth ₹8 trillion and create over six lakh jobs.

CONCLUSION

Green hydrogen development is still in the nascent stages globally and while India can take the lead in being a major producer, it doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure yet to execute all these intermediary steps. It also needs to announce incentives to convince enough users of industrial hydrogen to adopt green hydrogen. It needs to develop supply chains in the form of pipelines, tankers, intermediate storage and last leg distribution networks as well as put in place an effective skill development programme to ensure that lakhs of workers can be suitably trained to adapt to a viable green hydrogen economy.