Is Green Hydrogen a Truly Clean Burning Fuel?
2023-09-15
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1Green hydrogen has been presented around the world as a clean energy solution.
2But is this fuel truly clean burning? And what does it take to produce it?
3Hydrogen is the lightest chemical element.
4It has no color, taste, or smell, and can combine with oxygen to form water.
5To be considered green hydrogen, the production process of separating hydrogen from other elements must be powered by renewable energy.
6Hydrogen has been produced and widely used for more than 100 years, mainly to make fertilizers and plastics and to process oil.
7The gas has mostly been produced from fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
8Industry estimates predict the worldwide market for green hydrogen could reach $410 billion by 2030.
9This would double its current market size.
10Green hydrogen can be used in several industries, including steelmaking, concrete production and in manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers.
11It can also be used to produce electricity, as a fuel for transportation and to heat homes.
12Supporters say green hydrogen could be used to make these processes better for the environment.
13Francisco Boshell is an energy expert at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
14He told the Associated Press (AP) that he is hopeful about green hydrogen being able to produce more clean energy.
15This could especially be true with energy from renewables like sun and wind power, which cannot easily be stored for later use.
16Boshell said one problem with hydrogen is its unpredictability.
17The gas is highly flammable, meaning it can easily catch fire, and requires special pipelines for safe transport.
18This means most green hydrogen will likely be used close to where it is produced.
19The Energy Transitions Commission is a research group based in London.
20Its experts said in a 2021 report that, because hydrogen is highly flammable and difficult to transport, its use for heating buildings and other uses is limited.
21The commission is calling for net-zero emissions by 2050.
22The report said hydrogen is also less effective than direct electrification methods.
23This is because some energy is lost when renewable resources are changed into hydrogen and then that hydrogen is changed again to power.
24The report suggested that the gas could be used as a way to avoid storing electricity in batteries.
25Some studies have questioned the high cost of hydrogen production as well as its investment risks.
26There are concerns linked to a greater need for water than other clean power systems.
27Critics have also pointed out the lack of international guidelines that make it difficult for a worldwide market to develop.
28Robert Howarth is an environmental expert and professor of environmental biology at Cornell University in New York state.
29He told the AP he thinks green hydrogen is being praised too much, in part because of lobbying efforts by the oil and gas industry.
30But Boshell, of the International Renewable Energy Agency, disagreed.
31His organization has projected hydrogen demand will grow to 550 million tons by 2050.
32That would be up from the current 100 million tons.
33The International Energy Agency says production of hydrogen is responsible for creating around 830 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.
34Boshell said just replacing this so-called gray hydrogen - hydrogen produced from fossil fuels - would establish a long-term market for green hydrogen.
35"The first thing we have to do is start replacing the existing demand for gray hydrogen," he said.
36"And then we can add additional demand and applications of green hydrogen as a fuel for industries, shipping and aviation."
37I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Green hydrogen has been presented around the world as a clean energy solution. But is this fuel truly clean burning? And what does it take to produce it? 2What is hydrogen? 3Hydrogen is the lightest chemical element. It has no color, taste, or smell, and can combine with oxygen to form water. 4What is green hydrogen? 5To be considered green hydrogen, the production process of separating hydrogen from other elements must be powered by renewable energy. 6Hydrogen has been produced and widely used for more than 100 years, mainly to make fertilizers and plastics and to process oil. The gas has mostly been produced from fossil fuels, especially natural gas. 7Industry estimates predict the worldwide market for green hydrogen could reach $410 billion by 2030. This would double its current market size. 8What can green hydrogen be used for? 9Green hydrogen can be used in several industries, including steelmaking, concrete production and in manufacturing chemicals and fertilizers. It can also be used to produce electricity, as a fuel for transportation and to heat homes. Supporters say green hydrogen could be used to make these processes better for the environment. 10Francisco Boshell is an energy expert at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. He told the Associated Press (AP) that he is hopeful about green hydrogen being able to produce more clean energy. This could especially be true with energy from renewables like sun and wind power, which cannot easily be stored for later use. 11Are there concerns about green hydrogen? 12Boshell said one problem with hydrogen is its unpredictability. The gas is highly flammable, meaning it can easily catch fire, and requires special pipelines for safe transport. This means most green hydrogen will likely be used close to where it is produced. 13The Energy Transitions Commission is a research group based in London. Its experts said in a 2021 report that, because hydrogen is highly flammable and difficult to transport, its use for heating buildings and other uses is limited. The commission is calling for net-zero emissions by 2050. 14The report said hydrogen is also less effective than direct electrification methods. This is because some energy is lost when renewable resources are changed into hydrogen and then that hydrogen is changed again to power. The report suggested that the gas could be used as a way to avoid storing electricity in batteries. 15Some studies have questioned the high cost of hydrogen production as well as its investment risks. There are concerns linked to a greater need for water than other clean power systems. Critics have also pointed out the lack of international guidelines that make it difficult for a worldwide market to develop. 16Robert Howarth is an environmental expert and professor of environmental biology at Cornell University in New York state. He told the AP he thinks green hydrogen is being praised too much, in part because of lobbying efforts by the oil and gas industry. 17But Boshell, of the International Renewable Energy Agency, disagreed. His organization has projected hydrogen demand will grow to 550 million tons by 2050. That would be up from the current 100 million tons. 18The International Energy Agency says production of hydrogen is responsible for creating around 830 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Boshell said just replacing this so-called gray hydrogen - hydrogen produced from fossil fuels - would establish a long-term market for green hydrogen. 19"The first thing we have to do is start replacing the existing demand for gray hydrogen," he said. "And then we can add additional demand and applications of green hydrogen as a fuel for industries, shipping and aviation." 20I'm Bryan Lynn. 21The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. 22_____________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24renewable - adj. any naturally occurring kind of energy, such as sunlight or wind 25fossil fuel - n. fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas that are formed in the Earth from dead plants or animals 26concrete - n. a hard substance using in building operations 27net-zero - v. when a country, city, or territory removes as many emissions as they produce 28emission - n. the act of sending something out such as a gas, heat, or light 29battery -n. a device that stores electricity chemically 30lobby - v. to try to persuade a politician, the government or an official group that a particular thing should or should not happen 31application -n. uses for a product, resource, idea or method