Today we delve into another set of myths about renewable hydrogen and its use as an energy carrier, which continue to raise questions about its potential applications in various economic sectors.
We’ve created this series to provide you with key information about the “fuel of the future” and debunk those not entirely true. If you’re particularly interested in hydrogen myths, you can find previous articles here:
1. 3 Myths About Hydrogen that raise strong market concerns
2. Another 2 hydrogen myths we debunk
Myth 6: Green hydrogen production technology is immature
Although the global hydrogen market remains niche, this does not necessarily imply immaturity and low technological readiness. Electrolysis has been a well-known process for years, and various electrolyzer technologies are available on the market. Among them, alkaline technology is the most mature and widespread.
Commercial electrolysis installations already exist around the world, producing hydrogen using renewable energy, even at the MW scale. They are fully operational and contribute to the supply of green hydrogen to businesses and transportation. Moreover, in recent years, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of projects involving the production and use of renewable hydrogen in various applications.
Technology providers are constantly improving their technologies, leading to more efficient, sustainable, and profitable processes. Innovations in electrolysis, such as the development of high-performance electrolyte membranes and efficient electrode systems, are helping to increase the efficiency of equipment.
As greenhouse gas emissions regulations tighten and interest in sustainable energy sources grows, so does demand for green hydrogen. This, in turn, is accelerating the development of plants and projects. One factor in the growth is the support expressed by many governments and international agencies for the development of electrolysis technology as a tool for the transition to sustainable energy. They are including it in their decarbonization plans and strategies and allocating adequate funding for it.
Myth 7: Green hydrogen will only find application in the industrial sector
Many people assume that hydrogen will only find use in industry, as it is already widely used in numerous processes. However, it is currently gray hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Therefore, replacing it with renewable hydrogen and focusing on the sustainability of the sector is being considered.
However, it is worth noting that it is not only industry that can benefit from the hydrogen transition. Green hydrogen has a wide range of applications in transportation, especially where there is a need for long-distance travel or heavy transport, where the use of batteries would affect vehicle ergonomics. Hydrogen can also be used in rail transportation, especially on non-electrified routes, as well as to produce RFNBO/derivatives for shipping and possibly aviation.
Hydrogen can also be used in the energy sector to store renewable energy, increasing the efficiency of installations, and developing distributed energy systems based more on renewable energy sources. In addition, it has excellent applications in buildings and heating as a clean fuel to power hydrogen boilers and heating systems. To this end, we are developing hydrogen boiler technology that will provide residential estates and commercial buildings with the elimination of COx, SOx, NOx, and particulate emissions, contributing to the decarbonization goals of the building sector in the EU.
