An innovative process to produce hydrogen by electrolyzing water using electricity from renewable sources holds significant promise to help meet global energy demand while contributing to climate action goals.
The process uses excess electricity from renewable electricity grids to break water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen thus produced is completely emission-free or green.
Green hydrogen can be used to produce electricity when the renewable grid output is low, an expected consequence of using wind and solar energy for power. This can work as an energy storage alternative for batteries which are expensive.
Hydrogen also offers a significantly higher energy-to-weight ratio over batteries making it a possible fuel for long-range transportation like aviation and shipping. Scientific and technological research is underway for hydrogen adoption by these fossil fuel-reliant sectors.
Another area where green hydrogen can replace fossil fuels is in heating applications. These applications include heating the ambient air for buildings and for manufacturing processes that need high temperatures like steel, cement, paper, aluminium, etc.
Hydrogen also finds application as a chemical in industrial processes like the manufacturing of fertilizers, plastics, metals, glass, food, etc. The demand for hydrogen reached an estimated 87 million metric tons (MT) in 2020 but 95 % of current hydrogen is fossil fuel based.
Businesses the world over are investing in green hydrogen projects with an aim to displace fossil fuels with a sustainable eco-friendly alternative.
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