Hydrogen’s role in a net-zero world
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, estimated to make up 75 per cent of all matter. With an atomic number of one, it is a colourless and odourless gas that is highly flammable. On Earth, it only exists when combined with other elements, notably as water (H2 O), with two molecules of hydrogen bonded to one of oxygen.
According to the hype, hydrogen is going to be a central element of a future sustainable world. As countries and corporations race to slash their emissions, many new announcements in the hydrogen field are being made, and the picture is continuously updating. However, when examined closely the advantages of hydrogen are not so straightforward. An important issue is the sequence of energy inefficiencies and losses that are necessary before hydrogen can be burned as a fuel.
Interestingly, most of today’s hydrogen production is as a feedstock for industrial processes, often in oil refining, to make ammonia for fertiliser manufacture and to produce methanol. A small but growing proportion is being produced for use as an energy source.
… blue hydrogen is a name for combining fossil-fuelproduced hydrogen with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to bury CO2 emissions underground.
