With the ever-growing need for alternative energy sources knocking on the door, nations across the globe are searching for affordable forms of energy production that can also be of benefit to the environment. One of the most promising options is green hydrogen.
When water is split into its two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms, energy is released from the breaking of the bonds. Once the bonds have been broken, that energy can be captured and is stored for use, much like the burning of gasoline.
This process is called green hydrogen because its production doesn’t involve the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Because of this, green hydrogen does not contribute to global warming.
Not only does green hydrogen keep the earth clean, it also is more efficient. One kilo of water has three times the energy of a kilo of gasoline, making the energy production potential of green hydrogen much more appealing for long-term sustainability.
This process can also work in tandem with blue hydrogen, or the creation of hydrogen that simultaneously captures and stores carbon dioxide.
But this process isn’t something that can be done with a conventional engine. To break water down for energy useage, electrolyzer plants are required. Fortunately, nations have noted the benefits of green hydrogen and electrolyzer plants are on the rise.
Australian energy company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) is committing to a plant that will create two gigawatts of energy and 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.
This is only the start; by 2030, FFI hopes to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually, making it a spearhead in the realm of green energy production.
India has joined the push, investing tens of billions of dollars into streamlining the process for green hydrogen production, with the hopes that the cost of production can be reduced by as much as forty or fifty percent.
In addition to these steps toward a greener future, the Green Hydrogen Catapult coalition of the UN recently approved a renewed push toward green energy, advocating for a goal of enough electrolyzer plants to produce 45 gigawatts of power by 2026.
In response, nations such as Germany, France and Saudi Arabia have committed to the creation of electrolyzer plants.
If the current trends continue, green hydrogen could create enough energy and reduce carbon emissions such that the goal of a net zero emission target of 2050 could be within reach.
Even though the future seems daunting with the rising sea levels and increased temperatures causing a fluctuation in our weather, we still have hope.
We have hope that green methods such as wind turbines, solar energy and green hydrogen can secure the future for generations to come.
Comments