This long read tells you all you need to know about hydrogen, a simple molecule with huge potential. We explain what hydrogen is, how it is made, transported and stored, and perhaps most importantly, how it can help us make the transition to a carbon-neutral energy supply.
The story of hydrogen
Jules Verne had the idea as far back as 1874. In his book ‘The Mysterious Island’, he described a society fuelled by hydrogen. The changes we need to make to our current energy supply will bring us closer to Verne’s vision than ever before.
In The Netherlands, like in so many other countries, we need to be smarter in our use of energy. Climate goals, decreasing national production of natural gas, increasing European dependency on imports and simply keeping our energy bills in hand are all reasons why we need to change the set-up of our energy supply. We need to cut carbon emissions, use more sustainable energy and link up various energy systems and networks. This is the only way to make sure our energy remains reliable and affordable in the future. But how do we get hold of enough renewable energy at times when there isn’t enough solar and wind power? Which clean energy sources could we use for feedstock? And how do we merge existing forms of energy to create a sustainable energy system? There’s plenty to think about.
Hydrogen a key element
Research carried out in the Netherlands and abroad show that hydrogen is a key element of an affordable, sustainable and reliable energy supply. The usage of hydrogen will give us new opportunities and help us to realize a CO₂ neutral energy supply.
Hydrogen can contribute to the energy transition in all sorts of ways. For instance, H₂ can be used as sustainable feedstock for the chemical and petrochemical industries and as an alternative fuel for high-temperature heavy industry. Furthermore, hydrogen can be used to fuel heating systems or to make cargo transport, commercial shipping and aviation more sustainable.
At times when no or too little wind or solar energy is available, we need to be able to quickly tap into other energy sources for our electricity supply. Battery storage is not an option to overcome seasonal demand swings and fossil fuels are not desirable as they emit CO₂. Hydrogen is an alternative. Especially because storing it is relatively inexpensive. This feature is also beneficial during periods when there is a surplus of solar and wind energy. If the supply of renewable electricity exceeds demand, storage/usage in the form of hydrogen could be the answer.
Like storage, hydrogen is an interesting option in terms of transport and distribution. Transporting large volumes of hydrogen is much cheaper than transporting the same quantities of electricity. Studies have shown that in the foreseeable future our electricity network will no longer be able to cope with the estimated growth in electricity supply. By converting, at the right geographical location, the produced electricity into hydrogen we can use our renewable energy sources to its maximum potential.
Hydrogen. A key element in our future energy supply.
Hydrogen production
Hydrogen molecules (H₂) are extremely rare on Earth in their isolated form, but can be extracted from water (H₂O) or methane (CH₄). There are numerous methods that enable us to extract hydrogen, but they are both costly and require a lot of energy. And when we extract hydrogen from fossil fuels, CO₂ is emitted, which is exactly what we are trying to avoid.
There is, however, a carbon-neutral way of producing hydrogen and it’s called electrolysis. By passing an electric current through water, we can break it down into oxygen and hydrogen. If we only use sustainably generated electricity to do so, the process doesn’t generate any carbon emissions.
In order to investigate this method, a number of electrolysis projects have already been put into practice. One of those is HyStock, which was opened by our King Willem-Alexander on 26 June 2019. With a 1 MW capacity, HyStock is the biggest electrolysis plant in the Netherlands. Various initiatives are taken to scale up electrolysis from 1 MW to 100 GW. There is also a preliminary study looking at the construction of a 1-gigawatt electrolysis plant, and options for electrolysis in the North Sea, close to sustainable electricity production sites, are being explored.
Hydrogen integrates the elements of a sustainable energy supply.
Challenges
Electrolysis units are currently still expensive and the scale of the units is still too small, but these are challenges we expect to handle over the next few years. However, there are other aspects that need our attention, such as safety, the overall cost and the combination with sustainable electricity.
Safety of course needs to be considered. While H2 may sound like a nice substance that bonds well, it is also highly flammable, more explosive than natural gas and produces barely visible flames when it burns. Depending on factors such as the scale, the environment and the type of conversion selected (storing hydrogen in either compressed or liquid form, or converting it to another substance such as ammonia), other safety issues also need to be considered. The extensive Dutch experience and knowledge gained in dealing with large-scale use of various gases and their appropriate safety measures will come in useful.
The cost of hydrogen is currently still high and despite its myriad potential uses, we don’t yet know exactly how demand for it will develop. Extensive boosts are needed to get the first large-scale electrolysis facilities off the ground.
Production of and demand for hydrogen also needs to be encouraged. Higher demand will result in the required price development and give users the confidence they need to make the switch to hydrogen and invest in national infrastructure and storage.
Last but not least, a lot more sustainable electricity will be needed to enable carbon-neutral hydrogen production. This calls for flourishing developments of on and offshore wind farms and solar parks, with space set aside for hydrogen conversion and transport right from square one.
Setting an example
The Netherlands has the skills and expertise needed to set an example for other countries in the field of hydrogen. After Germany, our country is the second largest producer of hydrogen in Europe. Our chemical industry has been using hydrogen for many years already and is learning extremely quickly thanks to the numerous initiatives, projects and research studies carried out. There is immense potential demand for hydrogen in industrial clusters.
On top of that, there is a natural gas infrastructure already in place all over the country, part of which can be converted relatively easily for the dedicated transport of hydrogen. It is in the end infrastructure that connects supply, demand and storage and it therefore forms the basis for a sustainable energy system.
Food for thought
The extent to which hydrogen ultimately becomes embedded in our system will depend on factors such as political support, practical issues, confidence in what is possible and the desire to innovate and invest. However, the availability of detailed information enabling well-considered next steps will also be crucial. This calls for an honest, comprehensive, in-depth story about hydrogen, and that’s a story we would like to share with you.
