The hydrogen boom could be based on misconceptions, according to a study by the UK Government, which claims it is even more damaging than the much-demonized carbon dioxide.
Hydrogen has been pointed out by many as the solution to the problems derived from global warming that our planet suffers, as well as a viable alternative to complex battery electric cars.
But, for hydrogen to be really effective in its fight against decarbonization and acquire a relevant role in the energy transition, it is essential that hydrogen production be green or renewable.
“Hydrogen can be up to 11 times worse than carbon dioxide”
Currently, gray hydrogen is the most widely used in industry, being obtained from the reforming of fossil fuels, especially natural gas.
only the green hydrogen, generally obtained through the process of electrolysis with clean renewable energy, is considered beneficial for the environment as it does not generate emissions of carbon dioxide or any other polluting substance, but rather water vapor and electricity. So what is the problem?
Hydrogen as a greenhouse gas
According to the study commissioned from different experts in the field by the United Kingdom Government, hydrogen can be up to 11 times worse than CO₂ for the planet’s climate.
The argument is as follows: hydrogen is an element with such a low density that, despite being present in 75% of matter, it cannot be found independently on Earth. That is why hydrogen is always associated with other elementsmainly oxygen to form water.
According to this reportwhen hydrogen is released into the atmosphere, it associates with other gases present in it, producing heating effects that contribute to increase the greenhouse effect, even in a much higher proportion than carbon dioxide.
It can even produce a higher concentration of methane, which remains in the atmosphere for longer.
Leaks in storage and transport
According to the data extracted from the report, hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere on a regular basis during its storage or transport.
This is because the hydrogen tanks they cannot prevent small leaks from occurring. In fact, this problem also arises in the cylinders of compressed gas, which lose between 0.12% and 0.24% of their content. In the case of hydrogen transport as cryogenic liquidthe estimated losses are around 1%.
In any case, these figures continue to show that green hydrogen continues to pay off when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. Yes, it is essential develop storage and transportation technology to minimize leakage of this element so that said balance is unbalanced to a greater extent in its favor.
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