Global population is growing at a rapid rate. Estimates show that by 2050 we will reach almost ten billion people. A growing population also means an increasing demand for energy to power our homes, businesses, transportation and more. A solution to this global problem could be represented by green hydrogen.
One of the biggest challenges we face as a society is how to meet this demand while reducing global CO2 emissions. The solution could be to use renewable energy sources. It is unclear, however, that in order to get there, we have to face various obstacles.
As we accelerate the collection of renewable energy with larger-scale wind and solar farms, one of the long-term changes we will need to focus on is creating the infrastructure to actually use this energy. One of the most recognizable examples is the expansion of electric charging points for electric vehicles, but let's not forget facilities for power transmission and distribution lines, energy storage and management.
To really reduce emissions, we need to look at all parts of our energy system, from how energy is produced, to how it is used and distributed. Electric vehicles are better for the environment, but only electric vehicles charged with green electricity are truly emission-free.
Green hydrogen represents the "fuel of the future"
Many renewable energy solutions remain significantly more expensive. For example, green hydrogen can cost between 3 and 6 dollars / kg, while hydrogen obtained from fossil fuels costs between 1 and 1.8 dollars / kg. To incentivize consumers and businesses to make the switch, governments have used a carbon tax and subsidy approach. But what we really need are new solutions that make the transition clear and easy for everyone.
Each year, the New Energy Challenge is looking for start-ups and scale-ups with cutting-edge ideas that can help companies reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a way that is so affordable, as well as durable. This year, they are looking for solutions that fit the following themes: new mobility, energy storage, energy management and hydrogen.
Green hydrogen has long been considered the "fuel of the future" and the alternative that could revolutionize our energy system. Competing to become the future leaders in green hydrogen production, government bodies from Chile to Australia to the European Commission have announced ambitious new hydrogen-based green energy strategies.
Hydrogen seems to meet all these conditions on paper so that, unlike fossil fuels, it happens to be the most abundant element in the universe. Like fossil fuels, it can be burned to create energy or converted into electricity, but when produced using renewable energy, it produces no greenhouse gas emissions.
It is already used in oil refining and fertilizer production, but has a much wider range of potential applications. From powering large-scale factories to heating our homes, green hydrogen could become firmly entrenched in our future energy system.
The "hydrogen economy" has been around since the 70s
Hydrogen as an energy alternative is not a new technology. The idea of building a "hydrogen economy" appeared 50 years ago. However, what were the reasons why this chemical element so dense on Earth was not taken advantage of?
While hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth, it can only be found in compound form, as in H2O. This means that it must be extracted and separated from other particles in order to be used. Like electric vehicles, hydrogen is only as carbon neutral as the process required to produce it and the type of energy used to power it.
While hydrogen is already widely used today, the vast majority is produced with coal or natural gas. This "grey hydrogen", as it is called, emits CO2 emissions when it is manufactured. On the other hand, green hydrogen, which is produced with alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power, is carbon neutral.
One of the biggest obstacles to the transition to green hydrogen is the massive production costs involved. A report by the International Renewable Energy Agency found that green hydrogen is two to three times more expensive than blue hydrogen, which is produced using fossil fuels and carbon capture and storage.
Until green hydrogen is competitive with gray hydrogen, it will be difficult to expand its use on a wider basis. But scale-up H2Pro has come up with a new process to develop it, which could help increase hydrogen production, but also more efficiently and safely.
Green hydrogen is usually developed through a process called electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The H2Pro does this, except it uses two different stages: an electrochemical stage (E) and a thermally activated stage (TAC), to separate hydrogen and oxygen generation.
By splitting these two, they can eliminate the need for the most expensive part of electrolysis-based systems: the membrane. Using thermal energy to generate oxygen during the process also increases efficiency, ensuring that no energy is lost during the production process, unlike electrolysis, which results in energy losses of up to 25%.
Finally, the fact that oxygen and hydrogen are produced in two different steps reduces the risk of mixing the two elements, making it much safer. Their goal is to increase the use of hydrogen by lowering the price to just $1/kg.
Hydrogen is an energy carrier
One of the things you should know about hydrogen is that it is not a source of energy, it is an energy carrier. Green hydrogen can be used to supply and store energy generated by fossil fuel alternatives such as wind and solar. This means that the energy generated by the solar panels on a particularly sunny day can be stored and used later. It can also be shipped and traded overseas.
While the use of renewable energy is increasing significantly, we still do not have enough infrastructure to capture the amount needed to meet current energy demand. And with a growing population, the need for energy will increase considerably. As such, we need to find new solutions both for more efficient use of the energy we have and for balancing the supply.
This is where Finno Exergy comes in, the winner of the New Energy Challenge start-up contest. For decades, engineers have been improving gas turbines, making them more efficient or creating new materials that can, for example, increase turbine temperatures. But what has been largely untouched is the combustion process and, in particular, the advances that pressurized combustion (PGC) can bring.
Finno Exergy has developed the first solution that can produce the pressure increase required to significantly increase gas turbine efficiency. With their technology, the turbines consume 20% less fuel. While this will help us use green hydrogen more efficiently, another aspect of its solution that will help transition to wider use of renewable energy sources is the ability to use both green hydrogen and mixtures of hydrogen and gases natural when the first is in low quantity. .
Green hydrogen used in microturbine that can produce electricity
The first product from Finno Exergy will be a small microturbine unit that can produce electricity and medium pressure steam. But as Ijäs shared, the bigger impact, and in his opinion, the reason they won the New Energy Challenge, is that their system can be adapted to larger gas turbines, for example those used in large power plants or in the environment marine and aviation industry.
While these innovative technologies can help bring us closer to a new era of green hydrogen, as Ijäs explained, it will take time and investment to make this a reality.