Reality check: Hydrogen’s role in the decarbonized economy.

I used to think about hydrogen as a game-changing fuel that could significantly decarbonize the economy and I was somewhat disappointed reading the recent article in the Financial Times (https://on.ft.com/44R2man) about the potential role and challenges of the green hydrogen. Hydrogen as a fuel offers several significant advantages. First, it can utilize existing gas infrastructure with some adaptations. Second, refueling a hydrogen vehicle takes about the same time as refueling with gasoline or natural gas, unlike the longer charging times required for electric vehicles. Lastly, hydrogen can enhance network stability by utilizing excess power produced during windy and sunny periods. Hydrogen produced at nearly zero power cost during these periods can be stored for later use in industry or even in power generation. And I was not alone in my high expectations related to hydrogen. According to FT, projections indicated a surge in demand to 800 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by 2050, representing 20% of the global net-zero energy mix. Most of this hydrogen was expected to be “green,” produced using renewable electricity, with a smaller share being “blue,” derived from natural gas with carbon capture. The International Energy Agency’s 2021 net-zero scenario required around 70 Mtpa of green… continue reading