Today I’m going to be explaining exactly what is green hydrogen technology, how it works and Sweden’s plans to power their steel plants using this green hydrogen technology.
You’re also going to learn:
- How is green hydrogen produced?
- How do you store green hydrogen?
- Is green hydrogen viable?
- And lots more…
So if you’re a techy looking for the best sustainable energy source to leverage on, that’s still environmental friendly, then you’ll love this guide
Let’s dive right in!
What is Green Hydrogen Technology?
Simply put, green house technology involves the process of creating hydrogen fuel using renewable energy rather than fossil fuels.
Energy generated from hydrogen is very versatile and can be used both either in liquid or gaseous form. This in turn can be converted to electricity or fuel.
FUN FACT: An average of 70 million metric tons of hydrogen are produced yearly, globally for use in the process of oil refining, steel manufacturing, ammonia production, food processing, chemical and fertilizer production, metallurgy and lots more.
News from the Columbia Climate School…
It’s been estimated that an average of 90% of all atoms in the universe are hydrogen. But the catch here is, hydrogen can not exist on its own by nature…
The concept of the green hydrogen technology involves the process of producing hydrogen by decoupling its atoms from other elements (water, plants or fossil fuels – which serve as the renewable energy source) with which they occur.
This decoupling process determines the hydrogen energy’s sustainability.
Thus, green hydrogen is the resulting pollutant-free hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind or water.
Green hydrogen technology has the potential to provide enough sustainable energy needed for manufacturing, transportation, and many more – the best part?
The byproduct of this technology is just water.
Read More: The future of water defined...
This simply implies that green hydrogen technology is one really good way to tackle fossil fuel emissions.
How Do You Store Green Hydrogen?
Theoretically, there are lots of things green hydrogen technology can be applied to. Green hydrogen can be added to natural gas and burn in thermal power process.
The technology can also be used as a precursor for other energy carriers which range from ammonia to synthetic hydrocarbons, down to directly powering cars and ships.
But with its many application, one of the major issue faced by the green hydrogen technology and satisfying all its potential markets is the challenge in transporting it to where it is being needed.
Storing and transporting of this really highly flammable gas is not an easy task.
To get this done, the green hydrogen is usually transported in bulk in dedicated steel pipes where the gas are either pressurized or cooled to a liquid state.
So the question now is:
Is green hydrogen viable?
According to Forbes: Green hydrogen technology provides the world with the fuel of the future
The new initiative aims at cutting the cost of green hydrogen to about $2/kg, in a way to reduce the amount of emissions from the world’s most carbon-intensive industries which this technology can be applied in.
The below diagram maps out the various hydrogen strategies by different countries around the globe, as stated in 2020:
Why is Green Hydrogen Technology Suddenly such a Big Deal?
The call for a more cleaner energy source and environmental friendly technology has put green hydrogen way ahead of its time.
The green hydrogen technology provides a clear path to near-total decarbonization with the process of electrifying the entire energy system and leveraging on clean renewable power.
It is for this major reason that countries like Sweden have set-out plans and goals to power their steel plans using green hydrogen technology.
The proposed plant is set to be built in Boden (Northern Sweden) by the H2 Green Steel (H2GS) Swedish steel company.
This proposed plant is set to be the world’s first true green-powered steel plant.
With Sweden as the world’s leader in metallurgy and steelmaking, the call for a cleaner and more environmental friendly energy generating system is needed, and green hydrogen could just be our best bet.
The H2GS steelmaking complex is set to open in 2024 and is aimed at producing about 2.5 million tons of green steel annually, and an estimated 5 million tons of green steel by 2030.
Now I’d Love to Hear from You:
- With the many challenges faced in the process of storing and distributing green hydrogen, do you find it really cost effective?
- What other energy sources would you suggest as an alternative to the green hydrogen technology?
Either way, share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
