Blue Hydrogen for Transport in the US: The Transition to Green Hydrogen & the Conduit to Keeping Pace with the EU
by Salim Rahemtulla (PowerTap Hydrogen Fueling Corp./Biofuels Digest) … In its Hydrogen Program Plan, the DOE demonstrates support for the International Energy Association’s Future of Hydrogen, released at the 2019 G20 Summit, in its effort to “Stimulate commercial demand for clean hydrogen.” This “includes scaling up both “blue” hydrogen from fossil fuels with carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) and “green” hydrogen using renewables as well as water electrolysis using nuclear resources.”
While deployment of green hydrogen might be the most direct route to net-zero emissions, blue hydrogen will be the most effective way to transition away from fossil fuel resources, enabling R&D efforts to enable efficiencies and reduce production costs for green hydrogen to achieve the DOE’s “1 1 1” vision coincident with industry’s vision, particularly in the area of transport.
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PowerTap’s approach is to use a blend of renewable natural gas and fossil fuel natural gas to produce hydrogen with a carbon intensity that will not exceed 0 g CO2e/MJ. In California, this will enable PowerTap to earn carbon credits under the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulations, particularly, Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure credits. PowerTap’s blue hydrogen production process includes capturing and utilizing the CO2 by-product, primarily via biodigesters to produce agricultural soil amendments and other uses that are currently under development, and, secondarily, via off-takers who will repurpose the CO2 for food-grade uses, such as beverage carbonation and other uses.
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As of right now, Europe is the world’s leader of the hydrogen economy in terms of future planned installations and government policies that back the industry. According to IHS Markit’s Power-to-X quarterly report, “An unprecedented wave of hydrogen strategies has been released in 2020… six European countries and the European Commission released hydrogen strategies… in most cases as part of a green recovery plan.” IHS Market also predicts that $44 billion will be invested in green and blue hydrogen in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain within the next decade in relation to the announcement of a 55% decarbonization by 2030 (Fit for 55, the EU’s plan “for reducing net emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and for being the first climate neutral continent by 2050.”). Additionally, Europe currently represents just under half of the world’s planned capacity for green hydrogen production at a capacity of 10.7 GWe input compared to 25.8 GWe worldwide. Many new low/zero carbon hydrogen projects are being announced in Europe which could solidify their position as the world’s leading green hydrogen producer. READ MORE
