GREEN HYDROGEN
- Hydrogen is the universe’s most abundant element, but here on Earth it doesn’t appear pure in nature, and requires energy to separate.
- The most common technique is to extract hydrogen from water, which is two parts hydrogen and one-part oxygen (hence H2O).
- Green hydrogen is a hydrogen-produced fuel obtained from electrolysis of water with electricity generated by low-carbon power sources.
- Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water using electricity generated from low-carbon sources.
- Uses
- Transport – Hydrogen can be used as a hydrogen fuel for fuel cells or internal combustion engines.
- Additionally, hydrogen-powered aircraft are already being designed by Airbus, with a planned release of the first commercial aircraft by 2035.
- Heating – Hydrogen can be used for cooking and heating within homes.The British government intends to launch demonstration projects to show how the fuel can power regions containing hundreds of homes.
- Transport – Hydrogen can be used as a hydrogen fuel for fuel cells or internal combustion engines.
- The high cost of production is the main factor behind the low use of green hydrogen.
Other types of Hydrogen
- Blue hydrogen – Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas, using a process called steam reforming, which brings together natural gas and heated water in the form of steam. The output is hydrogen – but also carbon dioxide as a by-product. That means carbon capture and storage (CCS) is essential to trap and store this carbon.
- Grey hydrogen – Currently, this is the most common form of hydrogen production. Grey hydrogen is created from natural gas, or methane, using steam methane reformation but without capturing the greenhouse gases made in the process.