Green hydrogen

Cost competitiveness is the main challenge for wide spread use of green hydrogen

Road to decarbonisation

DNV’s Technology Progress Report highlights the role of green hydrogen technologies in meeting decarbonisation targets.

DNV IN A recent research report, titled Technology Progress Report, has come to observe how the adoption of new energy transition technologies can help in achieving emissions reduction targets.

The Technology Progress Report, a new supplement to DNV’s annual Energy Transition Outlook, has identified the role of green hydrogen in decarbonising manufacturing and energy production, over the next five years.

Remi Eriksen, group president and CEO of DNV says,“The world needs to transition faster to a deeply decarbonised energy system, reducing emissions by around 8% each year, to ensure an energy future compliant with the 1.5degree ambition set under the Paris Agreement. This urgent and complex challenge requires full energy system thinking: understanding the timeline and interdependencies of technologies, policies, and the difficult decisions that need to be made.”

According to the report, hydrogen economy is on the rise, and DNV expects that the global demand for hydrogen as an energy carrier will grow from zero in 2019 to 24 EJ/ yr in 2050. The primary utility of the green hydrogen technologies will be in the manufacturing and transport sectors, besides its primary use in fertiliser production or as feedstock.

Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, when a water molecule (H2O) is split into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) by applying an electric current. The four main green hydrogen technologies are Alkaline Electrolysis (AE), Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM), Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) and Anion Exchange Membrane. DNV is involved in numerous projects which apply these technologies, and keeps track of recent developments.

AE is the most mature electrolysis technology, largely used to improve conductivity, when mixed with potassium hydroxide (KOH), or for making fertilisers. PEM electrolysers are used to produce commercial hydrogen and are largely used pressurised, with a quick response time and 30% higher cost than AE, but with better efficiency.

SOE is recognised for its high operating temperatures (500900°C) and higher efficiency, but it has a low maturity level, compared to AE and PEM, and uses steam instead of liquid water.

AEM is the least developed procedure and still in the process of development but seems promising, since the design is similar to that of PEM, but does not require the same raw materials.

The Technology Progress Report discusses at length, the uses of green hydrogen and some smart alternatives. SOE increases the lifetime of the stack, improves capacity, and reduces cost. While electrification is a good replacement for carbonintensive energy carriers, and a better alternative than green hydrogen; it is generally suited for low and medium heating temperature processes (below 100°C).

Hydrogen can also be implemented by replacing or retrofitting natural gas burners, while the rest of the process equipment remains largely unchanged.

Green hydrogen is the most sustainable and carbonfree option and supports the business case of renewable energy. The upscaling and cost reduction of renewable energy and electrolysis will render green hydrogen more userfriendly.

The research report predicts that after about a decade, say in 2035, when renewable resources are abundantly available, the production of green hydrogen will see a significant increase, helping sustained decarbonisation in future. ■

The panelists of the Middle East Energy 2021 session who discussed the adoption of green hydrogen.

Green hydrogen: the missing piece of the renewables puzzle?

A panel of expert speakers at Middle East Energy 2021, discussed why governments, utilities, international partners and more, are seriously considering developing green hydrogen projects in the future. Robert Daniels reports.

AT MIDDLE EAST Energy 2021, Andre Roscoe, editor of Energy and Utilities at Informa Markets, explored why green hydrogen is generating so much excitement within the energy industry.

Cornelius Matthes, CEO of DII Desert Energy, explained that interest in green hydrogen has exploded over the last year due to a combination of factors. First the challenge of climate change has really been taken up in a big way and there is now serious action towards accelerating the transition to clean energy and reducing carbon footprint. Additionally, renewable energy is becoming increasingly low cost which is making the production of green hydrogen a much more viable option.

Continuing, Matthes commented, “Green hydrogen is now considered a necessity. Industries such as steel and fertilisers cannot electrify easily, so when it comes to massively reducing C02 emissions, green molecules are highly complementary to green electrons (which are obviously a prerequisite). Steel is a low hanging fruit which currently represents 7% of global CO2 emissions. One avenue to produce carbon neutral steel is direct reduction, to substitute things like coal with hydrogen.”

Tariq Hamane, head of development department at Morocco Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN), echoed these points and added that, for Morocco, the chemical and fertiliser industries were the biggest opportunity relating to green hydrogen. The country is a huge importer of ammonia, which could be subsidised by green ammonia produced by green hydrogen. Additionally, as the country has such huge potential for renewable power with solar and wind, it could be a major player in the green hydrogen field, capable of producing and transporting it to Europe.

At this moment green hydrogen is still in its infancy in regards to maturity of projects, but the panelists expected that this would begin to pick up rapidly in the near future due to the advancement of technology relating to electrolysis and renewable energy. They also noted that collaboration and partnerships would be absolutely essential to ensure that this enthusiasm for green hydrogen is maintained and actually converted into competitive projects. ■

“Renewable energy is becoming increasingly low cost which is making the production of green hydrogen a much more viable option. ”