Nurturing Hydrogen’s Potency for a Healthier Environment

Adrian Wilson
3 min readJul 9, 2021

Sponsored Post:

Hydrogen technologies have experienced cycles of excessive anticipations followed by disillusionment. Nonetheless, a developing body of evidence suggests these technologies form an attractive option for the deep decarbonization of global energy systems, and that recent improvements in their cost and performance point towards economic viability as well.

Almost thirty years ago, hydrogen was identified as a critical and indispensable element of a decarbonized, sustainable energy system to provide secure, cost-effective and non-polluting energy. Yet, hydrogen could play a significant role in low-carbon future which is counterbalancing electricity as a zero-carbon energy carrier that could be easily stored and transported it also enables a more secure energy system with reduced fossil fuel dependence as well as it assists with the versatility to operate across the transport, heat, industry and electricity sectors. Together, these account for roughly two-thirds of global CO2 emissions.

In UK for example, heat and transport are intercepted to decarbonize at just around one-third the rate of electricity production, with emissions gravitating to almost 24% compared to nearly 68% over the coming 15 years. Solutions are desperately needed to make transport and buildings sustainable that are cost-effective and appealing to consumers. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies offer greater personal choice in the transition to a low-carbon economy, given their similar performance, operation and consumer experience to fossil-fueled technologies. They also provide valuable insurance against the possibility of other vaunted technologies cascading to deliver, such as carbon capture and storage, bioenergy and hybrid heat extracts.

Aiming for more greater aspects, hydrogen appears to be a clean-burning, zero-emission fuel for storing and releasing energy. In addition, according to Goldman Sachs Carbonomics in The Emergence of Clean Hydrogen, hydrogen could have a large and nourishing addressable market. In fact, about 45% of energy-related greenhouse gasses could be decarbonized. (1) Hydrogen could be the ultimate solution for a greener environment! Starting to think how it might be relevant on a wide scale? Let’s drill down and see how these other sectors set the stage for achieving clean energy sources.

The 2015 Paris Agreement was a groundbreaking diplomatic effort with over 196 countries committed to prevent average temperatures. To meet that goal, scientists argue that fossil fuel use could have to reach net zero emissions by midcentury. The genius of the Paris climate accord was getting all the major parties to agree in particular major greenhouse gas emitters including Russia, China, India, Brazil and members of OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Now, the challenge is implementing the multiplicity of solutions needed to bend the global warming curve. The Paris Agreement is not a treaty between countries which set their own targets and determine their own strategies for meeting them. Each signatory has its own politics, economic structure, energy resources and climate exposure.

As the world’s population and economies enhance, energy potential demand is anticipated to develop by as much as estimated 50% over the next 30 years, so making the right long-term expenditure is crucial. Energy industries and policymakers have widely different visions of that future. Their long-term scenarios show that most intercept fossil fuel potential demand to remain steady for decades and possibly decline. However, many are also progressive with their speculations in cleaner technologies.

On a broader perspective, these other realms claim that their patented zero-emissions hydrogen boiler system could potentially help decarbonize the approximately $30 billion global commercial and industrial heating industry. (2) Ramping up the use of hydrogen as a clean-energy solution might involve financial effort and long-term modification to energy infrastructure. Hydrogen boilers could be the next big steps towards a carbon net-zero emissions society! Follow the link and learn more about these out-of-the-box ideas.

Hydrogen has the potential to fuel cars, buses and airplanes, heat buildings and serve as a base energy source to balance wind and solar power in our grids. Besides, Germany sees it as a potential substitute for hard-coal coke in making steel. It also offers energy groups a future market using processes they know. Hydrogen might not be a literal magic bullet but it is an essential milestone in attaining a healthier and cleaner environment!

Check the disclaimer on my profile.

Source 1: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/ee/c8ee01157e#!divAbstract

Source 2: https://theconversation.com/hydrogen-is-one-future-fuel-oil-execs-and-environmentalists-could-both-support-as-rival-countries-search-for-climate-solutions-159201

--

--