The word green hydrogen has become widespread among the corridors of governments, especially in recent times, which is witnessing great fluctuations in the global energy market, and thus the efforts of countries are witnessing a great acceleration to win the fuel of the future, which raises a question about the concept of green fuel and the reasons that imposed it as an alternative to fossil fuels, and How important is it? We will talk here about everything related to hydrogen.
Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements in nature, making up 75% of the volume of the universe. It is the lightest chemical element and is found naturally in water and organic compoundsIt is also a colorless, odorless, flammable, non-toxic, and the cleanest gas
It is characterized by the ease of extracting it from the compounds that enter its composition, in addition to the large amount of energy it produces from the separation process, as the energy contained in every 1 kg of hydrogen is estimated at about 40,000 watts. The energy contained in 1 kg of lithium-ion battery is estimated to be approximately 278 Wh.
Green hydrogen is a new member of the renewable energy family.
Water is known to be the only by-product of hydrogen combustion, which is why for decades hydrogen has been a magnet for scientists as a carbon-free energy source.
The energy generated from renewable sources flows into the electric grid. When there is enough renewable energy, the surplus will be transferred to the manufacture of hydrogen. Hydrogen can be converted into electricity when the renewable energy sources are cut off. The more intertwined the distribution, the greater the economic return.
The traditional hydrogen production process, which involves exposing fossil fuels to steam, is far from being carbon-neutral. The hydrogen produced in this way is called gray hydrogen, and if carbon dioxide is isolated from it, it is known as blue hydrogen, Here the revolutionary idea of producing green hydrogen by exploiting the surplus from renewable energy sources appeared.
Green hydrogen is different. It is produced by electrolysis using machines that break up waterwhich contains two atoms Manalhydrogen andcornoxygenAnd the use of hydrogen from this separation process, without any by-products,Electrolysis usually requires so much electrical energy that it would have been unreasonable to produce hydrogen in this way. But the situation has changed today for two reasons: The first is the availability of a large surplus of renewable electricity in the electricity distribution networks. Instead of storing the excess electricity in large batches of batteries, it can be used in the electrolysis process of water, thus "storing" the electricity as hydrogen. The second reason is due to the increased efficiency of electrolysis machines.
Companies are actively seeking to develop electrolysis machines that can produce green hydrogen at the same cost as gray and blue hydrogen, a goal analysts expect the companies will be able to achieve within the next 10 years. At the same time, energy companies began using electrolysis machines directly in renewable energy projects. The efficiency of electrolysis machines currently on the market is about 75%. One kilogram of hydrogen contains 40 kilowatt-hours, but it costs us about 53 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity to produce.
Hydrogen can be stored in dedicated tanks, but it is expensive
According to a study by the Australian Research Authority; Underground caves are the main choice for safe and affordable hydrogen storage
Hydrogen storage technology in salt caves is about 10 times less costly than storage above ground, and it is less than storage in rock mines by about20%, where These caves allow huge amounts of hydrogen to be stored for long periods.
Hydrogen has a high level of energy per unit mass, but its problem is that it is a low-density gas at room temperature, about one-third the density of natural gas, so in order to store and transport it, we have to cool it to 250 degrees Celsius below zero or compress it to a value 100 times greater than pressure air in order to turn it into a liquid and take up much less space for transporting it on board ships
It is possible to pump hydrogen into the existing natural gas networks, which are hundreds of kilometers in length, instead of constructing a new network to transport it.
Although hydrogen contains a large amount of energy, converting it to liquid and transporting it consumes very large energy, as there is an uproar in the scientific community about how to transport and store hydrogen in a safe and more effective way. This method is to produce ammonia from hydrogen that can be exported on board ships to all around the world
Ammonia is an organic compound consisting of three hydrogen atoms and one nitrogen atom. Nitrogen can be obtained from the air, as it constitutes about 79% of the atmosphere
Hydrogen is easy to transport when converted to ammonia. The speed of its transfer in this way is three times the speed of transporting natural gas. Ammonia becomes liquid at minus 33 degrees Celsius or a pressure of 10 times the atmospheric pressure. It does not react with steel as it does hydrogen.
Reports indicate that the ammonia sector will reach 6 billion dollars by 2025 and will continue to grow after that
1- Higher energy density than liquid hydrogen
2- Ease of transportation and storage
3- Infrastructure for transporting ammonia is now available
A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell used to produce electricity by supplying the cell with hydrogen and oxygen gas. Hydrogen is stored under pressure in tubes and oxygen is drawn from the air in the elevator.
Hydrogen is oxidized into protons that enter inside the electrolyte medium to the cathode and electrons move from outside the cell to the negative electrode where they all meet oxygen, which is reduced to form water.
There are many types of cells.
CompleteBurning hydrogen and converting thermal energy from combustion into kinetic energy by turbine To operate the generator Which is the main element that works all the elements of the station in order to run
Green hydrogen could disrupt global trade and bilateral energy ties, reshape countries as new hydrogen exporters and users emerge.
The rapid growth of the global hydrogen economy could lead to major geoeconomic and geopolitical shifts that lead to a wave of new interconnections, according to a new analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), The Geopolitics of Energy Transition Hydrogen factor sees hydrogen changing the geography of energy trade and regionalization Energy relations, hinting at the emergence of new centers of geopolitical influence based on the production and use of hydrogen, with the decline of the traditional oil and gas trade Driven by climate urgency and countries' net zero commitments, the International Renewable Energy Agency estimates hydrogen will cover up to 12%of global energy use by 2050
Francesco LaCamera, General Manager, said:toInternational Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Hydrogen can prove to be the missing link for a climate-secure energy future.” “It is clear that hydrogen is riding on the renewable energy revolution with the emergence of green hydrogen as a game-changer to achieve climate neutrality without compromising industrial growth and social development, but hydrogen is not new oil, and the transition is not an alternative to fuels. But it has turned into a new system with political, technical, environmental and economic turmoil
It is green hydrogen that will bring new and diverse participants to the market, diversify roads and supplies and transform energy from less to more. Through international cooperation, the hydrogen market can be more democratic and inclusive, providing opportunities for both developed and developing countries.and More than 30% of hydrogen could be traded across borders by 2050According to Irina, which is a higher share than natural gas today. Countries that have not traditionally traded energy are building bilateral energy relations around hydrogen With more players and new classes of net importers and exporters emerging on the global stage, the hydrogen trade as a weapon is unlikely to become a weapon, in contrast to the geopolitical impact of oil and gas.
Cross-border hydrogen trade is set to grow exponentially with more than 30 countries and regions planning active trade already today.
Some countries that expect to be importers are already deploying hydrogen diplomacy such as Japan and Germany
Fossil fuel exporters are increasingly looking at clean hydrogen as an attractive way to diversify their economies eg Australia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, broader economic transformation strategies are required because hydrogen will not offset losses in oil and gas revenues The technical potential for hydrogen production far exceeds the estimated global demand
Countries that are more capable of generating cheap renewable electricity will be in a better position to produce competitive green hydrogen, while countries like Chile, Morocco and Namibia who are net energy importers today, are poised to emerge as exporters of green hydrogen. Realizing the potential of regions such as Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East Oceania can reduce the risk of export concentration, but many countries will need large-scale technology and infrastructure transfer and investment.
The geopolitics of clean hydrogen likely play different stages The report believes that the first decade of the twenty-first century was a great race to lead technology, but demand is expected to increase in the middle of the third decade of this century.
By then, green hydrogen will compete in cost with fossil-fuel hydrogen globally, and is expected to occur earlier even in countries such as China, Brazil and India. Green hydrogen was already within everyone's reach in Europe during the natural gas price hike of 2021. Renovation of natural gas pipelines is likely to increase demand and facilitate hydrogen trade.
Countries with broad renewable potential can become sites of green manufacturing, using their potential to attract energy-intensive industries. Moreover, owning a stake in the hydrogen value chain can enhance economic competitiveness. Manufacturing equipment such as electrolyzers and fuel cells in particular can drive business. China, Japan and Europe have already developed an early start in production, but innovation will shape the current manufacturing landscape even more