Green hydrogen: what is it and how can cities use it?
This article is also available here in Spanish.

Green hydrogen: what is it and how can cities use it?

My list

Author | Jaime Ramos

Hydrogen is set to be the fuel of the future, but it has already encountered an obstacle: obtaining and producing it without emissions, i.e., as green hydrogen, is no simple task. What challenges lie ahead to make use of the most abundant element in the Universe?

A number of countries believe hydrogen will be the unparalleled star of the energy revolution. In Japan, for example, there has been significant institutional support for years. The European Commission has indicated that hydrogen represents less than 2% of is energy mix and, that of that percentage, 96% was produced with natural gas, resulting in significant amounts of CO2 emissions. However, the authorities in these territories, among others, are finalizing plans to change this situation.

What is green hydrogen?

Green hydrogen, in simple terms, refers to hydrogen obtained as fuel and for energy uses through renewable sources, such as electrolysis. In other words, renewable hydrogen.

The hydrogen color spectrum includes other types, such as black, brown, gray, blue or turquoise hydrogen. All of them are obtained using fossil fuels. There is also pink hydrogen, obtained from nuclear energy, and white hydrogen, as the volatile form in which the element can be found in nature.

How is green hydrogen achieved?

Although it is not the only method, water electrolysis is the most popular method for green hydrogen generation. This technology cleanly splits water molecules to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen.

The process uses energy from renewable sources, which is transmitted through electrodes that enable an ionic exchange between the two, in what is known as an oxidation-reduction reaction. There are other clean hydrogen production methods, for example, using solar power and biomethane (yellow hydrogen).

Green hydrogen uses: advantages and disadvantages

As indicated above, green hydrogen offers immense potential to achieve and accelerate decarbonization. According to the EU, "it can be used to replace fossil fuels in transport and industrial processes to stimulate the creation of new sectors".

The main advantages of green hydrogen include:

green hydrogen 2

The disadvantages include:

  • Producing hydrogen requires, not only a vast amount of electricity, but also water.
  • In terms of mobility, the development of hydrogen cars is an even greater challenge than that experienced with 100% electric vehicles. Even so, its implementation is easier in heavy transport: buses, trucks, trains and, even, vessels.
  • It will therefore be a while before we see the implementation of hydrogen energy models in cities. This is because it also requires a specific network of high-pressure distribution and storage infrastructures.

Despite the difficulties, there are some very ambitious strategies in place with green hydrogen at an urban level, such as China’s plan that includes 39 cities.

Images | Wikimedia.commons/DLR, Toyota Media Europe

Related Content

Recommended profiles for you

AP
Alba Padules
CARTO
Location Intelligence Specialist
SV
Sandro vettori
Sifra
ceo
MS
Meritxell Salas
FGC
Strategic & Prospective Planning Specialist
GC
George Cambanis
Mobito
Head of Business | Responsible for sourcing new companies in our Mobility Data Marketplace
JM
JOSE MORETA
MDMQ
COORDINADOR TECNICO
JR
Juan Rendon
Technical universitz munich
Master candidate in transport systems
FR
Federica Rollo
UNIMORE
PhD candidate
GM
Gabriela Maria
Unip
Arquiteta
MP
Martin Pečar
OmniOpti
Founder
NF
Natalia Noeli Fernández
Demente creativa
Owner
VM
Vergara Miguel
Ethos consulting
Ceo
MB
Marcos Barbe
Telefónica
Acces network infraestructure
MG
Marilda Gougou
MAS SA
MG
Marin Galvin
CTIA
Director of Wireless Strategic Programs
AC
Andrea Cano
Unsj
Docencia, extensión y proyectación
KZ
Kyrylo Zharkovskyi
Smartfactor
LiDAR GIS head team
PH
Paul Hoekstra
TNL USA
BU Director USA
SM
Santiago Montero Homs
Consultant Engineer
Project
GC
Guillermo Calderon
GOAL SYSTEMS
Eastern Europe Sales Director
LM
Luis Alberto Martell Agusti
EN VÍA SAC
Gerente General