Green hydrogen plays a critical role in decarbonizing industrial processes by replacing fossil fuels in energy-intensive sectors and enabling cleaner production methods. Here’s a breakdown of its key applications:
High-Temperature Industrial Heat
Green hydrogen can replace coal and natural gas in industries requiring extreme heat, such as steel production. It serves as both a clean heat source and a reducing agent to eliminate CO2 emissions from traditional coal-based blast furnaces.
Chemical and Petrochemical Processes
Hydrogen is essential for ammonia synthesis and refining operations. Green hydrogen can decarbonize these processes by replacing conventionally produced hydrogen derived from natural gas (which emits CO2).
Versatile Energy Carrier
As a long-duration energy storage medium, green hydrogen helps balance renewable energy intermittency. Excess renewable electricity can produce hydrogen via electrolysis, which is later used to generate electricity or power industrial equipment.
Implementation Challenges
- Cost: Clean hydrogen currently costs 2–7x more than fossil-based hydrogen, though incentives (e.g., U.S. IRA tax credits) aim to bridge this gap.
- Infrastructure: Scaling production to 7–9 million metric tons annually by 2030 (from <1 million today) requires rapid deployment of electrolyzers and carbon capture systems.
- Policy: Long-term offtake agreements and subsidies are critical to de-risk investments.
By addressing these barriers, green hydrogen could become a “Swiss Army knife” for hard-to-abate industries, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-role-can-green-hydrogen-play-in-decarbonizing-industrial-processes/
