The Promise Of Green Hydrogen

Source: Matthias Rebellius | · FORBES· | Sept 14, 2023

Crises can force a rethink and drive technological change. Google search results show that global interest in “green hydrogen” was never greater than just before Russia invaded Ukraine. At the time, everyone was asking themselves: “How can global markets replace Russian gas?”

Source: Siemens

Fast forward seven months, and it is obvious that energy policy and strategy is being rethought worldwide. A transformation is underway. Just as the Covid-19 pandemic led companies to embrace digitalization, remote working and cloud technologies, the war in Ukraine is speeding up decarbonization, greater sustainability and energy independence.

Hydrogen is an important piece of the renewable energy puzzle. It is often overlooked, mostly because the technology for making the green variety is very new and the process is expensive. Also, hydrogen is hard to store, because it is the lightest and simplest of all the elements.

However, hydrogen has one great advantage. When electricity from solar and wind power exceeds demand in the grid, then using it to split water into its component parts – hydrogen and oxygen – is a great way to store the excess.

There are plenty of ways to use it. It can power fuel cells to drive cars, trucks and ships. It can create zero carbon steel. It can decarbonize existing natural gas networks by up to 20%. And it can be turned back into electricity by burning it.

Modern societies and industrial nations are fueled by energy. And they are confronted with important questions. How can they transition away from coal, gas and oil? How can they replace climate-damaging energy sources? And how can they free themselves from economic and political dependencies?