It exists in the stars. It is a gaseous, colorless, odorless and insoluble element in water. It's less dense than air and it's the lightest of all elements on the periodic table. It is Hydrogen... and its stable molecular formula is H2!
In the last few months you may have heard about this humble “hero”. H2 has been used for many years, but now it is receiving more attention in several sectors, primarily in the energy sector. Hydrogen is indispensable to the decarbonisation of society.
The Roadmap for Carbon Neutrality (RNC2050) is a commitment that aims to achieve 100% decarbonization by 2050; an international goal that Portugal has taken on with many other EU countries, thus contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions around the world.
Miguel Patena, who responsible for Innovation at EDP Produção (a partner of the GreenH2Atlantic project), believes that we have entered a new and attractive stage for the energy sector. We have to consider not solely using electricity for energy, but also using green fuels. This combination is what could lead to the decarbonisation that society intends on. And why?
The most efficient and inexpensive way to reach 100% in 2050 is with electrification of consumption in general, whether in electric mobility, air conditioning, industries, etc. Even so, there are sectors where electrification will be "unreachable", such is the case with heavy industry, air transport and navigation. Here comes hydrogen, more specifically green H2, which can be used to solve this problem. In addition, it has gained economic viability, and its use is increasingly accessible. That is why we can look at this element as a possible important tool in the fight against the climate crisis.
With the global euphoria currently felt around hydrogen for the production of green energy, it is not only necessary to know all this element's powers, but also to be aware of its disadvantages.
H2 does not exist in nature in its pure state, so it has to be obtained through energy-consuming processes, to then be utilized in different ways, either in direct combustion or in fuel cells. The way it is produced can be “green” or not. The most common processes for producing electricity from H2 are:
The natural gas process gives rise to gray hydrogen, because it emits CO2. When the electrical energy, which powers electrolysis, is 100% renewable, we have green hydrogen - a process without any CO2 emission, from source to its final use. This is the goal in the very near future: completely clean and environmentally friendly production.
The electrolyser technology, with an installed capacity of 1 MW, works with membranes and protons, that is, what it does is the separation of hydrogen and oxygen in the treated water. Oxygen is used as a fuel or as a catalyst in other industrial processes and hydrogen as an energy vehicle, either by direct combustion to produce heat in boilers or to produce electricity from fuel cells.
Hydrogen is undoubtedly one of the great alternatives for a clean, safe and affordable energy future. With the energy transition underway, H2 will help accelerate global decarbonisation efforts to 100% and may even allow for reaching the goal ahead of schedule. The years fly by, but technologies also evolve faster and faster. The potencial of H2 is more than ready to help change the future of the planet.
If you want to read the full version of the article, you can find it on the EDP website, a partner of the GreenH2Atlantic project.