Hydrogen enjoys the label “fuel of the future.” This energy carrier is one of the most abundant elements in the universe. Of all standard fuels, it has the highest power content by weight, whether in liquid or gaseous form.
The problem with hydrogen is that, despite being naturally occurring, it rarely exists in pure form on Earth. Instead, it mixes with carbon to form various compounds. Breaking them up to harness hydrogen requires more energy than this fuel can yield, making it impractical.
Nevertheless, decarbonization proponents gravitate toward it. Now that the sustainability movement is in full swing, energy interests and stakeholders in other sectors, like transportation, have focused on unlocking hydrogen’s unshakeable potential.
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Is Hydrogen Fuel Environmentally Friendly?
Hydrogen can be clean. When fuel cells convert its chemical energy into electricity, hydrogen emits water vapor and produces zero harmful tailpipe emissions. However, it’s only as eco-friendly as the resource used to make it.
For example, hydrogen generated by electrolyzing water using solar power is more eco-friendly than when it’s derived from coal through gasification.
Is Hydrogen 100% Clean?
Hydrogen’s cleanness depends on the device transforming it into another form of energy, like electricity. For instance, hydrogen internal combustion engines cause nitrogen oxide pollution, which can harm human health.
Top 5 Hydrogen Innovations of the Decade
The fuel of the future won’t be used in the present until the energy sector solves its pressing challenges. Fortunately, these five developments in hydrogen technology paint a rosy outlook.
1. Retirement of Color-Coded Designations
Although hydrogen is colorless, pundits use about a dozen hues to identify its various types.
Green
Hydrogen is green when it occurs through electrolysis using clean electricity from surplus renewable sources. While green hydrogen production can be pricey, its cost should decrease as solar, wind and other renewables become more widely available and less expensive.
Yellow
Yellow hydrogen is a product of electrolysis powered by solar. The term briefly gained currency until green hydrogen became the umbrella term for hydrogen created by electrolyzing water using a renewable energy source.
Pink, Purple or Red
Any hydrogen generated from electrolysis using nuclear power is pink, purple or red.
Blue
Hydrogen is blue when obtained from natural gas through steam reforming, which emits carbon dioxide. Blue hydrogen production includes carbon capture and storage to trap and keep the greenhouse gas by-product.
Turquoise
Hydrogen is turquoise when produced through methane pyrolysis. This method splits the greenhouse gas into hydrogen and carbon black — a critical raw material with numerous industrial applications. Turquoise hydrogen’s by-product is solid carbon, so it doesn’t emit carbon dioxide.
Gray
Hydrogen is gray when derived from natural gas or methane through steam methane reformation. Gray hydrogen is blue hydrogen minus the catching and storing of greenhouse gases emitted in the process. It’s the most common type on the market.
Black or Brown
Hydrogen is black when it stems from black coal and brown when it’s from lignite — a brown coal variety. Either way, it’s the result of gasification. Due to its source, it’s the most environmentally unsound kind of hydrogen.
Gold or White
Hydrogen is gold or white when sourced directly from Earth instead of industrial processes. It forms when water interacts with mineral-rich rocks in high-pressure and high-temperature environments. Gold or white hydrogen is relatively easy to extract from subsurface deposits where it naturally occurs using drilling equipment used by oil and gas companies.
This naming convention is straightforward but needs to be more balanced with the complexity of hydrogen production. Plus, color-coded descriptions are somewhat arbitrary — that’s why natural hydrogen can be gold or white, depending on a person’s preference. The lack of universally agreed-on descriptions can lead to misinformation because they’re open to interpretation. Someone who considers nuclear power ungreen may have a dim view of pink hydrogen.
Miscommunication is another concern. Misunderstandings may arise when decision-makers keep describing pink hydrogen as purple or red.
Energy sector observers believe the current hydrogen color spectrum may render decarbonization efforts less effective. The system ignores the environmental impact of hydrogen’s end-use applications. For example, adopting green hydrogen for everything may drain the clean electricity supply and force energy-intensive activities to rely on fossil fuels.
A better naming system must consider energy source, end-to-end carbon intensity, usage efficiency and life-cycle emissions. Although the sector has yet to standardize hydrogen classification, realizing the prevailing color-coded method is flawed is key to developing sounder decarbonization strategies.
2. Rise of Fuel Cell Electric Trucks
Although fuel cells have existed for decades, they’re still synonymous with hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles. Fuel cells are more efficient at lower loads, so fleet operators that prefer hydrogen have had trucks with internal combustion engines initially designed for natural gas.
Finally, fuel-cell technology has advanced enough to support trucks and decarbonize fleets. The Class 8 T680 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle is a shining example. It delivers 415 horsepower and has a range of up to 450 miles — about the average distance truckers cover daily.
The proliferation of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles is instrumental in the transportation sector’s sustainability strategy. Although California continues to have a virtual monopoly on the existing United States hydrogen infrastructure, more fuel corridors nationwide will form when additional highway fueling stations become operational to support travel.
3. Development of Hydrogen Carriers
The difficulties of moving pure hydrogen over vast distances hamper its commercial viability. Transporting hydrides instead is an excellent workaround. Magnesium hydride, whose metallic lattice chemically stores hydrogen, is one of the compounds eyed for this application. Other good candidates are chemical hydrides, liquid organic hydrogen carriers and nanostructures.
Hydrides ease transport and storage. The focus is now on improving the efficiency of the hydrogen recovery process to maximize value.
4. Proliferation of New Use Cases
The utility of hydrogen fuel has spread to maritime, aviation and space. The marine industry combines fuel cells with solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy technologies to power ships and vessels. Some startups are developing modular hydrogen-fueled gas turbines for marine propulsion optimized for cube shipping containers. In addition, hydrogen-powered gas turbine generators are vital in light hybrid-electric aircraft.
Hydrogen as a rocket fuel is old news — aerospace engineers have used it since space exploration’s early days. What’s new is researchers are blending it with other fuels and experimenting with its derivatives, including the disinfectant hydrogen peroxide, in hopes of attaining green space vehicle propulsion.
5. Creation of Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs
Perhaps the most consequential event in the history of the hydrogen economy is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which opens the floodgates for clean hydrogen investment. The American federal government earmarks $7 billion to lay the groundwork for the country’s regional clean hydrogen hubs.
These facilities in strategic locations will make up Uncle Sam’s extensive network of producers and consumers. They will help the country achieve the ambitious climate goals of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
While the White House’s pledge is massive, it’s more of a signal to encourage businesses to invest their capital heavily in hydrogen than a mere funding source. The authorities expect the law to spur up to $40 billion worth of private investments and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.
Clean hydrogen should become more commercially viable and an attractive alternative to fossil fuels once the hubs are operational.
Hydrogen Is Realizing Its Potential
Hydrogen’s title — “the fuel of the future” — never meant more than now. The past decade has seen tremendous progress in ironing out the kinks in hydrogen tech. The next may witness the fuel finally be ready for primetime.