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Green hydrogen has gained substantial attention as a promising solution for reducing carbon emissions across various economic sectors.
Ammonia production and fine chemicals
Within the chemical industry, hydrogen plays a crucial role in processes like ammonia production and the synthesis of fine chemicals, including pharmaceuticals.
Michael Liebreich, from the Liebreich Association, identifies ammonia production and the hydrogenation sector as areas where green hydrogen is indispensable for effective decarbonization. Those industries currently rely on the use of grey hydrogen to ignite these chemical processes and the use of green hydrogen could fully decarbonize those sectors by completely avoiding the formation of carbon dioxide produced by the steam reforming of methane.
Petrol refinery
The petrol refinery sector also faces limited alternatives, making green hydrogen the primary choice to partially reduce its CO2 footprint.
Petroleum refineries use hydrogen in downstream units, such as hydrocrackers and hydrotreaters, to meet fuel specifications for producing distillate, jet fuel, and other petroleum products.
Hydrogen is also significant for desulphurization processes, which means treating low-grade, sour crude slates that are rich in sulfur and bringing down the sulfur content.
As for the ammonia sector, the petrol refinery industry currently relies on the use of grey hydrogen, and according to the Leibreich Association, it has no real alternative other than green hydrogen to be less impacting in terms of CO2 emissions.
Steel Production
Green hydrogen emerges as a critical player in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries, such as the steel sector, which is currently responsible for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
The conventional steel production process involves treating iron oxide (FeO) with carbon coke (C) to yield iron (Fe), accompanied by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. By substituting carbon coke with hydrogen (H2), the formation of carbon dioxide is averted, with water (H2O) as the only byproduct.
This substitution proves instrumental in reducing emissions.
Mobility
Hydrogen's versatility extends to being a crucial component for diverse applications, including mobility.
Whether utilized in fuel cells for combustion, hydrogen curbs greenhouse gas emissions in sectors hard to electrify directly, such as long-haul transportation, aviation, and shipping.
Energy Storage
Finally, green hydrogen offers a versatile solution for energy storage (seasonal) from power and solar devices, enhancing the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the energy system.
This capability allows hydrogen to store excess energy during periods of low demand and release it during peak demand, enhancing the overall reliability and resilience of the energy system.