Green hydrogen can be used to power entire industrial facilities as well as specific processes, depending on the industry and application. It has significant potential in heavy industry sectors, where alternatives to fossil fuels are limited and decarbonization is urgent.
Use of Green Hydrogen in Industrial Facilities and Processes
Entire Industrial Facilities
- Green hydrogen can directly replace or complement fossil fuels in industrial applications, including in combined heat and power (CHP) systems that provide both heat and electricity for industrial operations. This means it can power entire facilities, reducing overall energy consumption and emissions.
- Industrial parks and eco-industrial zones are exploring green hydrogen for facility-wide energy needs, which includes heating, power, and feedstock purposes, fostering local economic development and innovation.
Specific Industrial Processes
- Green hydrogen is already used or being trialed in key industrial processes such as steelmaking, glassmaking, concrete production, ammonia manufacturing, and petrochemical refining.
- In steelmaking, green hydrogen can substitute coal as both a heat source and a reducing agent in the chemical reactions needed to produce steel, potentially decarbonizing this high-emission process.
- In glassmaking, green hydrogen is being tested under projects like H2Glass in the EU to replace natural gas as the primary heat source, aiming to reduce emissions significantly.
- Concrete production is experimenting with hydrogen blends to reduce emissions, as hydrogen currently cannot directly replace traditional cement ingredients, but can serve as a clean fuel input.
- In oil refining and ammonia production, green hydrogen serves as a feedstock or catalyst, helping reduce emissions in these vital chemical processes.
Summary
Green hydrogen is versatile and can be deployed at multiple scales in industry:
| Application Level | Examples | Role of Green Hydrogen |
|---|---|---|
| Entire Industrial Facilities | Industrial parks, CHP systems | Replaces/complements fossil fuels for heat and power across the facility |
| Specific Industrial Processes | Steelmaking, glassmaking, concrete, oil refining, ammonia production | Used as a clean heat source, reducing agent, feedstock, or catalyst to decarbonize core industrial processes |
In conclusion, green hydrogen is capable of powering entire industrial facilities by providing heat and electricity and also supports specific industrial processes as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, enabling significant carbon emissions reductions in heavy industries where alternatives are scarce.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/can-green-hydrogen-be-used-to-power-entire-industrial-facilities-or-just-specific-processes/
