IMPACT OF GREEN HYDROGEN
By Olusegun Adeyemi HOSEA, +2348036210054, ewiexponentrendition@gmail.com
Background of the study:
It is important for a nation to live in an abundant of light as against living in a darkness. From inception of the creation of the Heavens and Earth, God Almighty Himself has commanded that let there be light and there was light to illuminate the whole universe. Therefore, it’s important for researchers and other inventors globally to take it upon themselves to create a light that will generate zero carbons for the benefits of mankind on Earth.
For this reason, the impact of green hydrogen in our communities cannot be overemphasized. However, green energy is a type of energy generated by renewable energy with a low carbon power. This type of energy is desirable particularly in the rural areas, especially in the communities across the riverine areas in Africa-Nigeria with a big reference to the Ilaje Local Government Areas in Ondo State who have been living for more than twenty years, without a glimpse of energy to illuminate their communities.
WHAT IS GREEN HYDROGY?
Definition: This is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low carbon power. According to Wikipedia, green hydrogen is an energy produced by steam reforming of natural gas which makes up the bulk of the hydrogen market. While Dr. Emmanuel Taibi defines it as enabler of the global transition to sustainable energy with zero emissions economies. He explained further that hydrogen is emerging as one of the leading options for storing energy from renewables with hydrogen-based fuel is potentially transporting energy from renewables over long distances from regions with abundant energy resources to energy-hungry areas with thousands of kilometers away.
Also, it’s an energy produced from gas, wind, solar or hydro power to illuminate the society.
ORIGIN OF GREEN HYDROGEN
It was in 1970s that expectation for hydrogen economy was first high. Hydrogen as a renewable low carbon fuel for vehicles, heating, and energy storage has remained evasive, held back by high costs low efficiency and lack of infrastructure and storage technologies.
In 2022, it’s different with pressure to decarbonize the global economy has nudged policy makers and companies to look at hydrogen as a way to lower emissions in sectors beyond transport. So the cost to make and use hydrogen is lowering and renewables have become a key driver.
Hydrogen is seen as one of the lower-cost options available for storing surplus power as opposed to wind or solar power generation.
According to Dr. Emmanuel Taibi-Head of the power sector Transformation strategies, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) who developed green hydrogen when he was working in energy Agency in Italy. He learnt about sustainable development and energy and the connection between the two.
He said that renewable electricity supply and its use is to decarbonize the energy sector through green electrons as well as green hydrogen and its derivatives,
The UN conference featured Green Hydrogen in a number of emissions reduction pledges at the UN climate conference COP26, as a means to decarbonize heavy industry, long haul Freight, Shipping and aviation.
TYPES OF GREEN HYDROGEN
Resources available on World Economic Forum listed various types of green hydrogen to be in different colours. Some are grey, blue, green e.t .c. and each referring to how it is produced.
Green Hydrogen: It is the only variety produced in a climate-neutral manner. This has been praised as the only clean energy source for the future. Though the gas itself is invisible. Because it is the only hydrogen produced in a climate neutral manner, it could play a vital role in global efforts to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.
Blue Hydrogen: Any carbon generated from steam reforming and captured as well as stored underground via industrial carbon capture and storage (CSS) is called blue hydrogen.
Grey Hydrogen: This is a type hydrogen generated from the natural gas or methane through a process called steam reforming. The emission is smaller than black and brown hydrogen.
Black or Brown Hydrogen: This is a type of hydrogen that damages the environment due to the CO2 and carbon monoxide generated during the process are not recaptured.
Turquoise Hydrogen: This is a kind of energy that refers to a way of creating the element through a process referred to as methane pyrolysis which generates solid carbon.
Yellow Hydrogen: it is a hydrogen made through electrolysis of water using solar power. It can also be a hydrogen generated via electrolysis of water using mixed sources depending on what is available.
MERITS OF GREEN HYDROGEN
One of the merits of green hydrogen is that it has capacity of lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen. Also green hydrogen type that produced in a climate neutral manner making it critical to reach net zero by 2050.
Another merit of green hydrogen is that it is easy to store which allows it to be used subsequently for other purposes and at times other than immediately after its production.
It’s hundred percent sustainable i.e. it does not emit polluting gases either during combustion or during production.
It’s an environmentally friendly energy source and raw material that is easy to transport and store.
Another merit is that green hydrogen is versatile and can be used innovatively.
It can also reduce CO2 emissions as said earlier above.
DEMERITS OF GREEN HYDROGEN
One of the demerits of green hydrogen is the high cost as the energy generated from it is more expensive to generate which in turn makes hydrogen more expensive to obtain.
Its storage complications. It has a lower density which mean that it has to become compressed to a liquid state and stored the same way at lower temperature to guarantee its effectiveness and efficiency.
It’s not the safest source of energy. It is very difficult to move from one place to another due to its lightness.
It depends on fossil fuels. It has a minimal environmental impact but its separation from oxygen requires other non-renewable sources such as coal, oil and natural gas.
This types of energy cannot sustain the population. The cost of harnessing it limits extensively utilization.
POSITIVE IMPACT OF GREEN HYDROGEN
One of the positive effects of green hydrogen is the sustainability aspect of it and it does not emit pollution during production.
Also, green energy can have excess energy generated by good weather conditions to be stored so that it can be used for when conditions are less favourable.
Similarly, the green hydrogen can deliver a large amount of energy. It is used in fuel cells to produce energy at power plants globally.
It can revolutionize the environmental impact of hydrogen fuel production.
It is a very strong type of energy that can be used as a liquid or as a gas as about 70 million metric tons of hydrogen are already being produced across the globe in a year.
It is affordable flexible feed stock and fuel to decarbonize large-scale industrial value chains. It also has the potential to transform electric and gas grids.
NEGATIVE IMPACT OF GREEN HYDROGEN
The cost capital investment on the green hydrogen has driven down the expenses of renewable energy while the production of the electrolyzers is the major capital equipment require to generate green hydrogen has not yet achieved economies of scale.
Also, the government incentives and private sector commitments to decarbonize are deriving increased electrolyzer production, setting the stage for massive reduction in the cost of this critical input.
Transport, storage and safety regulations remain important issues that require solution for deployments to scale.
The high cost of the green hydrogen to generate has made it difficult for the hydrogen to be obtained due to the expensive side of this content.
SUMMARY
The study ex-ray the green hydrogen as the hydrogen been generated by renewable energy that has a low-carbon power or emission.
In conclusion, the green hydrogen is the hydrogen that is more friendly with the environment as this does not emit pollution which can have advert effect on the health system of the inhabitant within the society. On like the grey hydrogen which is being produced by steam reforming of natural gas, which makes up the bulk of the hydrogen market.
