The demand for renewable energy and power is increasing on a global scale due to the environmental impact of the use of fossil fuels in industry, businesses, and homes. As this growing demand for clean electrons and molecules increases with activism, political policy making, and general awareness, hydrogen has appeared as an option to support electrification in the race to decarbonise our homes and businesses.
One of the main reasons for the United Kingdom’s interest in hydrogen stems from the extensive gas distribution network at the country’s disposal. The UK gas grid services around 27 million customers with a gas distribution network of more than 300,000 km of gas pipes.
The UK government has also taken a policy decision to support the blending of up to 20% hydrogen by volume into the current natural gas grid and a further decision for the use of hydrogen in domestic and commercial heating will come in 2026.
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Advantages of Hydrogen as a Clean Fuel
Hydrogen has numerous advantages over fossil fuels when it comes to environmental impact. Firstly, when hydrogen is used within a combustion process the major byproduct is water in the form of vapor, it therefore eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the combustion of natural gas or LPG.
As discussed earlier, the UK will seek to blend up to 20% hydrogen by volume into the UK gas distribution network, this could – according to the UK government – reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by around 6 to 7 million tons per year. This approach will lower carbon emissions from the UK gas distribution systems as the power system continues to green from renewable infrastructure projects coming on stream.
Another advantage of hydrogen is its versatility. On the face of it, hydrogen can be used in different sectors; for transportation, what’s particularly interesting in this area is “end to end” transport whilst other areas include industrial processes, and commercial and domestic heating.
Applications in the transportation sector are moving at pace as feasibility projects with buses, trucks, lifting machinery and vehicles used in the heavy-duty construction industry are increasingly seeing hydrogen as a possible fuel of the future. Read more about JCB’s hydrogen engine here: https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/jcbs-hydrogen-combustion-engine/8569193/
Furthermore, hydrogen can be used in heavy-duty applications where battery solutions cannot provide the necessary power. These include the shipping industry as a fascinating sector for exploration.
Furthermore, hydrogen has the possibility to develop the United Kingdom’s energy security and energy economy. As the UK seeks to reduce its use of imported fuels and mitigate the economic impact of a projected reduction in natural gas usage, homegrown hydrogen molecules could protect and even strengthen jobs in the growing UK renewables sector whilst replacing import fuels with those manufactured at home.
The Production of Hydrogen
Critical to the green credentials of hydrogen is the production process it goes through. Presently, a substantial amount of hydrogen is produced through processes that involve fossil fuels. These processes are known as grey and blue hydrogen. Firstly, grey hydrogen is generated from natural gas via steam methane reforming. This method emits CO₂, making it less environmentally friendly. The next process involving natural gas is blue hydrogen – this involves a similar process to grey hydrogen; however, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is deployed to capture and store the CO₂ emissions.
As noted, these methods can result in carbon emissions that undermine hydrogen fuel’s environmental benefits. There are, however, cleaner methods to generate hydrogen – one well-covered production methodology is electrolysis. The electrolysis process uses electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When this process is powered by renewable energy sources like wind, solar, or even nuclear power, electrolysis can generate what would be known as green hydrogen with a limited carbon footprint. Green hydrogen has gained traction in various parts of the world over recent years due to the price of renewable energy declining, making green hydrogen a potentially viable option for large-scale hydrogen production.
There are two principal categories of electrolysis: alkaline electrolysis and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. Alkaline electrolysis utilities a liquid alkaline electrolyte to facilitate the required reaction. PEM electrolysis, on the other hand, uses a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. The alkaline systems are more mature and therefore more cost-effective at present; however, PEM systems are increasingly gaining popularity because they can operate at higher pressures and with faster response times. This makes the PEM approach ideal for applications requiring quick hydrogen production.
Thermochemical water splitting is another approach that uses high-temperature heat, such as that which comes from nuclear reactors or highly concentrated solar power in driving the water-splitting process and reaction. However, this particular methodology is still in its infancy and requires further development.
There are many types of hydrogen production methods that come with their own designated colours, if you are interested in finding out more about the different hydrogen product methods visit https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/07/clean-energy-green-hydrogen/
Challenges and Limitations of Hydrogen as a Clean Fuel
One of the prime limitations for widespread distribution of hydrogen is the current infrastructure. The upstream production, storage, and distribution of hydrogen remains a significant issue. There have been significant advancements, with the existing network of pipelines due to the United Kingdom’s iron mains replacement program meaning that a substantial percentage of iron pipe had been removed from the ground and replaced with plastic piping that can carry 100% hydrogen. Yet, this is limited compared to traditional fossil fuel infrastructure. Therefore, to realise the full potential of hydrogen from a 20% blend and from a 100% perspective, there is a substantial investment in infrastructure development required.
The cost of hydrogen production is also a significant hurdle. Hydrogen production methods like the aforementioned electrolysis process remain expensive compared to standard fossil fuel extraction and alternative renewable methods of energy generation. The challenge for governments and industries around the world who are taking hydrogen seriously as a substitute to traditional fossil fuels, need to consider how to achieve parity or near cost parity with current fuels’ sources.
Safety fears also play a substantial role in the perception and subsequent acceptance of hydrogen as a replacement fuel to tried and trusted natural gas. This became apparent during the UK hydrogen trials at Whitby and Redcar. Due to the fears surrounding hydrogen, these trials have been shelved indefinitely. Additionally, developing robust safety regulations and standards for hydrogen production, storage, and distribution will be vital for ensuring a safe transition to a hydrogen-based economy – thankfully lots of work in the UK has been completed in this field and therefore if you’d like to read more about hydrogen safety standards particularly surrounding hydrogen for heat, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hydrogen-heating-role-of-hse/4fa191f2-1475-434d-b793-8fb7b4b3000a
Government Initiatives and Investments in Hydrogen Technology
Governments around the world are progressively spending on hydrogen production technology and feasibility studies to establish the optimum usage for hydrogen. There are many countries that have developed and deployed national hydrogen strategies that promote production, storage, and utilisation of hydrogen across targeted sectors of their economies.
The European Union has set targets for hydrogen production as part of its Green Deal, aiming to have at least forty gigawatts of electrolysis capacity by 2030. The UK hydrogen strategy aims to develop a low-carbon hydrogen sector to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which involves the following:
- 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, with at least half coming from green hydrogen
- Stimulate investment and support innovation in hydrogen technologies, creating jobs and export opportunities
- Establish a clear regulatory framework to ensure safety, reliability, and market development for hydrogen
- Explore various uses of hydrogen, including heating, transport, industry, and power generation
- Develop networks and storage solutions for hydrogen to ensure a reliable supply
For more details on the UK government hydrogen strategy visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-hydrogen-strategy
The Future of Hydrogen as a Clean Fuel
Despite the negativity and challenges surrounding hydrogen, it still stands at the forefront of the movement towards greener molecules particularly in sectors that are hard to electrify, as it has potential to offer a sustainable solution to meet the energy demands of the future. As investment continues into production research, hydrogen distribution and infrastructure, hydrogen could become a foundation of energy systems across the globe.
As technical advancements with production continue and the hydrogen market matures, the cost of hydrogen molecules is expected to decline, making it a more competitive option in global energy markets. Heightened productivity with electrolysis methods and in hydrogen storage solutions, along with the scaling up of production capabilities will aid in making hydrogen more accessible.
Conclusion
Hydrogen is a versatile and clean fuel that has potential to support widespread electrification. Its environmental benefits along with its potential within diverse hard-to-abate applications ensures that hydrogen could offer a route to decarbonise end-to-end transportation, large scale industries such as glass and steel making, and depending on ongoing trials and feasibility studies, even heating. However, the challenges remain significant, as infrastructure development costs are substantial along with production costs.
The pathway to understanding the full potential of hydrogen as a clean replacement to natural gas and other high carbon molecules is still in a nascent stage. As investors across the world continue to collaborate with hydrogen, our understanding of its true capabilities and use cases will continue to grow and undoubtedly hydrogen will support the transition to cleaner power and energy in the future.
Further reading:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hydrogen-blending-into-gb-gas-distribution-networks
