Decarbonising 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?

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 the 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 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 decarbonisation of the earth progresses and, consequently, the generation of renewable energy becomes cheaper.

Companies that produce green hydrogen

Here are some of the companies mentioned:

H2Pro

Founded in 2019 and based in Caesarea, Israel, H2Pro develops E-TAC – a revolutionary method for producing green hydrogen by splitting water that is over 95% efficient, safe and cost-competitive with fossil-fuel hydrogen.

H2Pro’s technology, known as E-TAC (Electrochemical – Thermally Activated Chemical), uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, unlike electrolysis, hydrogen and oxygen are produced in separate steps. This eliminates the need for a costly membrane, allows for simpler construction and significantly lowers power consumption compared to electrolysis.

E-TAC is based on years of research conducted by its founding team at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. H2Pro is the winner of Shell’s 2020 New Energy Challenge.

Air Products & Chemicals

Air Products & Chemicals (APD) is a U.S. company based in Pennsylvania. APD’s first hydrogen fueling station started in 1993, one of the first companies to adopt the practice. The firm also has had a relationship with NASA for 50 years back with every space shuttle, including the Mercury and Apollo missions, using liquid hydrogen.

Air Products is a global leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing technology and equipment and now wants to be a leader in providing solutions to the world’s energy and environmental challenges through gasification, carbon capture, and clean hydrogen. It’s also one of the world’s largest suppliers of hydrogen and a leader in hydrogen fuel infrastructure.

It has several projects lined up for hydrogen. Air Products signed an agreement for a $5 billion world-scale green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility by 2025. Skipping on 3 million tons of CO, per year, the project may supply 650 tons per day of green hydrogen for transportation globally. In addition, it has $4.5 billion blue hydrogen project in Louisiana, a $7 billion carbon-free hydrogen joint venture in Saudi Arabia, and a $1 billion net-zero hydrogen project in Canada to enter service between 2024 and 2026.

FuelCell Energy

FuelCell Energy is headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut. The company designs, manufactures, operates and services Direct Fuel Cell power plants. FuelCell’s SureSource plant creates more hydrogen than it needs to power production. This leaves a surplus for industrial or transportation uses. 

Fuel Cell supplies green and blue hydrogen power. The firm is aiming to produce low-to-zero-carbon power, capturing carbon and other greenhouse gasses while producing power. It also wants to store energy from intermittent renewable energy by converting it to hydrogen, which it can convert back to electricity as per need.

The company provides clean energy in over 50 locations all over the world and operates the world’s largest fuel-cell park, Gyeonggi Green Energy Fuel cell park, in South Korea.

Reportedly, the US Dept. of Energy-funded $8 million last year. Giving impetus to hydrogen, this was for the design and building of a SureSource electrolysis platform to produce the fuel. The firm also gave a significant boost to the industry by delivering 12 million megawatt-hours of environmentally friendly energy. FuelCell’s tri-generation system, as some call “an ultimate clean energy source”, can deliver power, hydrogen, and water from a single platform. Toyota will soon begin using the system in its logistics facility in California. FuelCell’s clean energy endeavours don’t just stop there, it is also developing technology to capture carbon dioxide from industrial facilities.

Ballard Power Systems

Ballard Power Systems engages in manufacturing, selling, and servicing proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products. The firm developed a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell that runs on hydrogen.

It provides expertise in the electrification of buses, commercial trucks, trains, marine vessels, passenger cars, and forklifts. The company is also working on new technologies that use hydrogen energy. Early this year, it partnered with Swiss industrial giant ABB to develop fuel cells to power ships.

In India, it has also partnered up with Adani Group, Investing in the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cells in India. Recently, the company also won a contract for 15 70-kilowatt “FCmove” fuel cell modules from Tata Motors. The modules will power zero-emission fuel cell electric buses. Furthermore, it conducted a successful test with Chart Industries to power fuel cells with liquid hydrogen. Such a wide array of investments positions Ballard Power Systems to emerge as a leader in the budding hydrogen industry.

Bloom Energy

From San Jose, California, this green hydrogen company makes fuel cell power generation systems that can run on hydrogen, biogas and natural gas. Firm, in 2021, unveiled an electrolyzer that can use the excess heat from heavy industries, such as steel and cement manufacturing, to produce hydrogen with less electricity. Notably, Bloom Energy can pair its Bloom Electrolyzer with solar energy and wind energy to generate green hydrogen. This can eventually again turn back into electricity for future usage.

Bloom Energy intends to market its electrolyzers at a 10 MW and 25 MW scale in 2023. The company’s collaboration with the SK eco-plant may generate 4.2 MW of electricity at capacity and capture the thermal energy to provide heat and warm water for a nearby recreational centre. Bloom Energy is also working together with Baker Hughes to commercialize and deploy hydrogen solutions for energy transitions. The firm already has more than 700 MW of installed base in overall fuel cell technology globally.

Plug Power

Plug Power is a pioneer in the hydrogen fuel cell industry creating the first commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology. Cost being the most significant limitation to the industry, Plug claims to have a clear development roadmap to green hydrogen at a cost of $1.50 per kilogram (22kWh/5).

Plug already leads the industry with over 50,000 fuel cell systems for the e-mobility market (using electric powertrain technologies to power vehicles and fleets). Setting green hydrogen trends in North America, it has several hydrogen plants under construction to start production in 2022. The first of the company’s two new plants, “Project Gateway”, will be North America’s largest production facility for green hydrogen. It will produce 45 metric tons of liquid hydrogen daily. Another one, in Georgia, will produce 15 tons of fuel per day. Apparently, the company aims to build the world’s first green hydrogen ecosystem, positioning itself as the category leader. The company’s electrolyser customers include NASA and Boeing Co. (BA).

Conclusion

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.

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