Green hydrogen is attracting attention as a potential source of clean energy, and is called as ‘the fuel of the future’.
Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. This is a very different pathway compared to both grey and blue. Grey hydrogen is traditionally produced from methane (CH4), split with steam into CO2 – the main culprit for climate change – and H2, hydrogen. It is produced at industrial scale today, with associated emissions comparable to the combined emissions of UK and Indonesia. It has no energy transition value, quite the opposite.
Green hydrogen could be a critical enabler of the global transition to sustainable energy and net zero emissions economies. It can be an effective and large scale source of fuel in a world that is weaning itself off fossil fuels.
There is unprecedented momentum around the world to fulfill hydrogen’s longstanding potential as a clean energy solution.
In India, several companies such as Gas Authority of India Limited, Adani Group, Bharat Petroleum, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL), Renew Power and others have declared their intentions to enter the green hydrogen space. L&T, IOCL and Renew Power, would be forming a joint venture in order to execute the project.
Reliance Industries is focused on becoming a producer of blue hydrogen, which is made from methane – the predominant constituent of natural gas.
In total, it is estimated that larger players such as L&T, Adani, and Reliance alone would pump Rs 6 trillion into the sector.
Globally, most of the hydrogen produced today is used in the refining and industrial sectors. By the end of the decade, the IEA anticipates that hydrogen will find a host of new applications, including powering grids and fueling the building and transportation sectors.
If the coal and coke that today power most blast furnaces could be replaced with green hydrogen, a sizeable amount of the sector’s emissions could be avoided.
In developing countries such as India, which is investing in the National Hydrogen Mission to help achieve its energy transition goals, hydrogen could be used in transportation, power generation and industry.
According to the IEA, hydrogen can also be used in batteries. Fuel cells could, if developed at a larger scale, help countries set up infrastructure that can store and stabilize the supply of renewable energy.
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