All over the world, hydrogen is gaining momentum as a clean and sustainable power generation choice. It allows for the production of electricity without the effects of carbon emissions. As a renewable source of energy, H2 only emits water vapor, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and can store excess energy that can be converted to electricity later, thereby reducing dependency on fossil fuels. It also supports small and large power backup systems while delivering sustainable electricity. Known as one of the simplest forms of element, and for its ability to carry clean energy, the use of hydrogen power is being explored across multiple sectors, such as electricity, transportation, power generation, in buildings, and so on. cannot be understated.
H2, known as the fuel of the future, is produced by natural gas and via the process of electrolysing water, which in turn uses electrical currents generated by various sources of power like wind, solar, etc.
Green Hydrogen bridges the gap between the generation of renewable energy, its storage up and its consumption. Production of green hydrogen is a boon for industrialists and the community alike, as it promises to address the ongoing concern of variable electricity supply and its demand. By storing the generated energy chemically within the hydrogen itself, it improves the overall system’s efficiency and ensures a continuous supply of electricity, making power available even during long periods of wet or adverse weather conditions when renewable generation is low.
Uses of Hydrogen in the Energy Sector
In the power generation sector, hydrogen fuel technology is playing a pivotal role in preserving the climate and reducing CO2 emissions by replacing fossil fuels with green hydrogen for its generation of energy.
Additionally, green hydrogen also serves as an energy storage system, with the ability to generate the element in volumes, compress the gas, and store it in ad hoc tanks for a longer life period, similar to the way natural oil reserves or fossils are stored today. This becomes a big advantage for those industries that are heavily dependent on electricity for their energy operations.
Various Application of Hydrogen Across Industries
Power Generation and Energy Storage for Longer Period
With rapid growth and development in the renewable energy sector, the intrinsic nature of the sources of renewable energy poses a great challenge. To solve this hurdle, a battery energy storage system is critical in bridging the gap during grid failure or energy disruptions. Adoption of green hydrogen applications offers a unique advantage of storing energy for longer time periods and the ability to transport it from one location to another. Utilizing hydrogen to store energy allows one to be ahead of the curve and face the uncertainty and volatility. All in all, producing and consuming green hydrogen enables individual owners to maximize benefits by using hydrogen for electricity production during grid unavailability and in periods of high electricity prices.
In Transportation Sectors
As the transportation industry is known to be one of the major contributors of greenhouse emissions, green hydrogen plays a crucial role by providing a renewable source of energy as a fuel for vehicles, eliminating harmful emissions, and offering a clean solution towards the climate.
As per a report published by Niti Aayog, the increase in adoption of green hydrogen has the capability to help India bring down 3.6 gigatons of CO2 emissions by 2050. Additionally, green hydrogen has the potential to power larger vehicles like heavy-duty trucks and buses. Using hydrogen fuel cell technology allows heavy vehicles to travel long distances. Both electric vehicles and normal gas-run vehicles can be powered by either batteries or hydrogen-based fuel cells. Hydrogen-based fuel is known to increase efficiency in vehicles and improve performance in comparison to traditional internal combustion engines.
Hydrogen as a Fuel for Industrial Processes
Hydrogen as a fuel is mainly used in those industries that rely heavily of energy generation as a source of their production. Traditionally, energy consumption via fossil fuels played an integral part in the production process. However, with clean hydrogen energy, there is a significant potential to reduce carbon emissions.
Application of hydrogen energy is largely present across three major industries, namely: the steel industry, the oil and chemical industry. In the Steel industry, green hydrogen can be used to run the turbines instead of coal as a raw material for generating electricity. In the Chemical and fertilizer industry, green hydrogen can be used for the production of ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, replacing fossil fuels and reducing carbon emissions.
Difference Between Green Hydrogen With Other Forms Of Clean Energy
The National Green Hydrogen Mission
A nationwide policy framework launched by the government of India in 2022 to promote the production, consumption, transportation, and export of green hydrogen and its compounds. The framework of the policy is set with the ambitious target of enabling India to become a global leader in green hydrogen production, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels, decarbonizing various industries, and encouraging a sustainable future.
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Key Strategies And Objectives
- Increasing Production Capacity: The policy aims to scale the annual production capacity of green hydrogen by at least 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) by 2030.
- Incentivising policies: To facilitate increased production of green hydrogen, the government is willing to waive inter-state transmission charges for renewable energy that is used for green hydrogen production, and for 25 years from the date of commissioning.
- Development of Green Hydrogen Hubs: Under the scope of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, it will identify and develop necessary infrastructure in those regions that are likely to support large-scale production and consumption of hydrogen. This will further support streamlining production and distribution.
- Become An Exporter Of Green Hydrogen In Volumes: Support India towards becoming a substantial exporter of green hydrogen, with an ability to export at least 10% of the produced hydrogen, exporting approximately 10 MMT per annum by 2030.
With a lot more private and public sector companies coming at the forefront to produce green hydrogen, it highlights their commitment to developing sustainable measures that harness the full potential of renewable energy. As a country, in order to succeed in a systemized manner, the government should scale up the hydrogen production in a more coordinated way, establish robust policies and collaborations, as this will enable investments by private entities towards developing infrastructure and factories for the production of green hydrogen.
Frequently asked questions :
Ans: Green hydrogen, as the name suggests, is a clean source of energy generation that is produced through an electrolysis process powered by renewable energy.
Ans: Not all forms of hydrogen are a clean source of energy. Only green hydrogen made from a renewable source of energy is considered completely clean and sustainable because it doesn’t produce any carbon emissions.
Ans: Green hydrogen minimizes grid dependence, allows for storage of energy, provides a clean source of energy with no carbon emissions, creates employment opportunities, and helps bring in investments through the transportation of energy.
