Some say it’s the fuel of the future that will soon power large parts of our economies. Others say it’s just a hoax propagated by the oil and gas industry. But either way, EVERYONE in the energy world is talking about hydrogen. Can it really help us get to net zero?
Reporter: Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann
Camera: Christian Caurla
Video Editor: David Jacobi
Supervising Editor: Kiyo Dörrer
We’re destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn’t need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What can we do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we’ll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
#PlanetA #Hydrogen #GreenHydrogen
Global Hydrogen Review 2021 from the International Energy Agency: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/5bd46d7b-906a-4429-abda-e9c507a62341/GlobalHydrogenReview2021.pdf
Powering ships with fuel cells: https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Zero-emission-container-corridor-hydrogen-3.5.2020.pdf
Hydrogen-powered aircraft: https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/LH2-aircraft-white-paper-A4-v4.pdf
Study on blue hydrogen’s emissions: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ese3.956
Report on Shell’s blue hydrogen plant: https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/fossil-gas/shell-hydrogen-true-emissions/
Special thanks to:
Noel Tomnay, Global Head of Hydrogen Consulting at Wood Mackenzie, for a background interview.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:37 What is hydrogen?
01:34 How can we use the stuff?
04:41 The hydrogen rainbow
08:49 No silver bullet
10:47 What’s next for hydrogen?
45 Comments
What do you make of the hydrogen hype?
Electric vehicles are not the answer so you don't put fossil fuel into a car anymore instead you plug your car into a fossil fuel powered electricity plant, I firmly believe Hydrogen is the way to go forward and solve the climate issues
Well, we are building more nuclear power stations to catch up with the demand on the electric vehicles… you can use a lot of that energy to produce greener hydrogen easily, in your video you speak only of renewable energy sources as an option, which in reality is not true, we are going to need the nuclear power if we are having electric cars probably until we discover a better way of producing mass amounts of electricity [fusion maybe]. So… making the so said green hydrogen is not going to be as green, but we are going to have that nuclear waste anyway, we might as well use the energy produced to create something along the way. Beside powering a fuel cell is nice, it gives us alternative way in the future we to convert electric cars to hydrogen fuel cell cars [theres already cars like that], but we can also convert gas cars to hydrogen with combustion engines [theres already cars like that].
And while everyone is speaking about renewable energy sources for hydrogen production and the lack of them, well you guys see a fail, i see a win here, because today at the very moment, we don't even have that alternatives for the mass consumers which are affordable and easily accessible.
more electricity -> more green hydrogen produced, well it wont be green, it will have another name to differiantiate the one produced using nuclear power and one produced using renewable energy sources. BUT it is still better than what we have now guys, so baby steps, big baby steps.
It almost feels like downplay the idea a little. How difficult is to produce environment cleaner hydrogen, it is easy, it wont be 100% clean because oh no we are using nuclear power but we are already doing all that and we are planning to make more for tesla and rivian, might as well use it to cut other bad polution factors like coal and methane and just keep the nuclear power till we find alternative to it.
kai havertz
We need to find a way no make nuclear fusion on a micro level
“Climate crisis” is propaganda
Recycling modules# scale of efficacy
Stupid stupid and totally BS. This is the correct way to separate the two atoms in the water . PAY ATTENTION MORONS!!!
A> you vibrate the center field of a magnet at the correct frequency into the water and it's done. no high current issues!! YOU stupid..
1:25 Uh, NO. 8X more oxygen than hydrogen, due to mass differences. Not a good sign. You were going to teach us a little energy??
Hydrogen, as an energy carrier, will make much more sense for stationary energy storage, mainly at high latitudes where winter nights are long. Secondarily, it could make some sense for large ocean ships, and possibly for long-haul trucking. IMO aviation uses are just not going to materialize at all. Even for these uses, the problem for hydrogen is that there are competing options that are fully feasible. Biofuels are one answer, as long as it doesn't have to scale too much. For the high latitudes, HVDC long-distance grid transmission can be a good choice. There is always an alternative to hydrogen.
Think Sun Hydrogen.
Hydrogen fuel cells? Yes OK – apart from their weight – but in principle OK
But burning Hydrogen in Air – Like in Aviation or the steelworks (I can't see fuel cells used there)? Isn't NOx a by product – and you may be net zero but that NOx is even worse (hundreds of times worse) than CO2 is it not?
Have to go and research, was hoping the answer might be here, but it's not.
Ho hum – and as for using reneawable electricity – it's not that renewable is it? Solar or wind?
This is NOT about NET ZERO – it's about protecting the environment
Hydrogen cost 4 times the price of gasoline per gallon.
I would like to watch videos pertaining to the solutions to our present problems, instead of criticisms and cynicisms about the "Promise Hydrogen" can deliver all of us from the problems created by "Big Companies". Lithium and Solar Panels are not as "Earth Friendly" as you think, it is not (Sustainable – it is Oxymoron). Both deplete the Earth's Natural Resources. The processes of extraction of the natural resources needed to make Solar Panels and Lithium Batteries are very harmful to our planet. Another example, when the laminate of the Solar Panel degrades, heavy metals such as ARSENIC, LEAD, CADMIUM, and SILVER will leach out of these so-called "Sustainable Solar Panels", and are highly toxic, and classified as "HAZARDOUS WASTE. The same is true with Lithium-Ion Batteries contain COBALT, NICKEL, and MANGANESE, when these leach out it will further pollute our planet, it will contaminate our water supply, and ultimately will pollute the food chain supply (plants and livestock). There are a lot of disinformation/misinformation in this video, trying to discredit "HYDROGEN" as another clean source of energy. We need to explore all options, if the goal is "Zero Emission". All BIG COMPANIES must put their resources together to solve the "Environmental Crisis" they created since day one. Take Full Responsibilities of your actions and Do Not Penalize The "END USERS" ! What is the point of Amassing Billions of Dollars in Wealth, if The Big Companies render our planet UNLIVABLE – Have some INTEGRITY and Do What is Right ! YOU ARE ALL SLOWLY KILLING US – "Big Companies" … GOD WILL DESTROY THOSE WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH (REVELATIONS 11:18). I T I S A P R O M I S E.
"Climate change" is bull shit. If you want to do something for the planet, deal with the socialists and the power mongers. When no one is free no one will care about the planet.
How can we go wrong with Scientist like Bill and Greta leading us.
The car example is wrong. The machine is never ever producing enough energy to power a car. H2 cars are normal battery cars (BEV) with a small battery to provide space for this h2-engine-thing to charge the small battery
I could be wrong, but I thought hydrogen can be generated anywhere. All that’s required is electricity to electrolyse saline water? Given that hydrogen can be generated alongside electrical transformers (substation) to step-down from high voltage to an acceptable domestic use. Perhaps the electrolysis of hydrogen could be used in such a way to replace transformers. Or somehow modify the technology to incorporate electrolysis? I don’t know, I’m just guessing… but it seems to me that transporting hydrogen shouldn’t be a problem.
No need to travel to Mars, we make Earth one!" Elon
There is a guy I know well made his own engine which runs on air, I'm not specific which air, but the problem is, no one will approve this and give patent…..
Hydrogen is really interesting and should be on the agenda for quite some branches or industries. However it's not a solution for energy production, sinces it's a product that either uses energy (aka it becomes a storage or source for transport of energy; a carrier) or it's produced from fossile fuels and could have better been burned directly. It can be really good for buffering and distribution of huge amounts of renewable energy (when demand is low). Also it can be used to reduce local emissions. For example the Dutch steel factory want to switch to production with hydrogen so they can used renewable energy (even when the wind is down) and if grey energy is used it still would reduce the local emissions (which are a lot).
I think we go on developing green hydrogen. I am investing in heavy cargo hydrogen logistics. Let's safe our planet
The hydrogen can solve the transport of the energy produced by solar panel technology in places far away from the final user.
What about nuclear energy? It would seem that's the only way to get sufficient electricity, no? Strange that is was omitted from this otherwise very good video.
Lithium Battery have whole host of environmental problems associated with it; Hydrogen is the alternative that seems to have far less impact when done right.
It just a question of: 1) improving efficiency of the process chain, 2) get a country to implement the system, 3) get people to buy hydrogen engine/devices.
you need step 1 to convince government to get into the action, and you need step 2 to get people convinced to buy into the technology….
without wide scale government support, new things like this (which costs a lot of money) can be pretty hard to pick up by the general public.
Lithium ion batteries are really bad for the environment, so hydrogen cars do make more sense while Lithium ion is used for our batteries.
Hydrogen is the solution for the fossil fuel substitution
Why arent the scientists focusing on Friction Based energy systems. For example, a person on an exercise bike can run a battery to generate lights in a home, or other items that would otherwise run on electricity….???
We need to releive the world of burden. We also need clean industrial flame, hydrogen will have its place and probably a bigger space than we can see right now. Our biggest problem is not enough sustainability.
Great Video, Hydrogen most definitely has a place in the future energy mix
I am neutral about the Hydrogen issue, but your video missed a significant and important form of storing and using Hydrogen and that is using it from ammonia (NH3 or protonized NH4). Nitrogen is an inert gas and NH3 is very reactive. NH3 is cheaply stored in steel tanks like Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) or Domestic Gas. NH3 can be directly used to like an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) like LPG taxis by simply replacing copper laden parts. Cars can also have small NH3 or NH4 decomposers or electrolysis, the Nitrogen can be released in the air as ecofriendly inert gas but the hydrogen go through fuel cell with oxygen from the air to run the car with electricity. The car would need less batteries as it will only be used to start the electrolysis of NH3 and the rest of the space will be ammonia storage tanks, like LPG tanks. Any Gas Station can be refitted into Ammonia refilling station like LPG Stations. Ammonia, like all other industrial Gasses are toxic but one mild disadvantage is that Ammonia is also an irritant but curable. Ammonia does not affect the Ozone unlike Methane. Ammonia is also used as Rocket Fuel. I have worked in an ammonia refrigeration plant and have played around with it by using it a Christmas Canon to make noise.
Why not use it for freight trains? You can have huge, centralized, and clean production sources, trains are significantly safer than trucks/cars, they can carry massive amounts of it to carry them to the next centralized production plant, and most of their time is spent away from cities.
definitely the fuel of the future. green hydrogen all the way.
if hydrogen is in space, wy not get it there ?
iridium and platinum are the catalysts for green hydrogen, can it really scale?
Can hydrogen kind be thought of as a fuel for airships?
Possibly for other air or space travel too for propulsion or like oxygen I can’t remember
I understand the whole energy thing
Energy densities of battery is supposed to be better eventually I think
But it’s still a super cool and
Like a summer transport company kinda like greyhound would be cool
Also wtf what about boats they literally love water
Cars and small Vehicles = Electric (EV) & Ships, Aircrafts and large vehicles = Hydrogen. I dont think its a good idea to focus too much on adapting Hydrogen to Cars & Small Vehicles. Hydro Powered EV Charging Stations is a good idea though.
Naahhhh. This sounds more like propaganda for electric vehicles. Did Elon Musk pay you to make this? One thing you didn't mention is that hydrogen can be made with nuclear energy. Another is that if our electric grid is going to use natural gas anyways, and that gray hydrogen is being produced as a byproduct, then we might as well take advantage of that byproduct. In the US, 95% of Hydrogen produced is from natural gas and 40% of the US electric grid is natural gas. Instead of burning petrol, that Hydrogen (which was produced for "free" mind you), can be used to power cars. Electric cars not only have the emissions from the lithium battery production to worry about but also that 60% of American electricity production is fossil fuels (20% coal and 40% natural gas). The energy spent on transportation is very very large and if I did the math right it's more than the electricity needed to power all the homes in the US right now (but I might be wrong about this).
The obvious answer is using nuclear power to produce hydrogen.
Well, you're wrong, Because hydrogen is already fueling cars, boats, planes and trains in Europe. So I guess you're way off…see…you aren't up to date…look a hydrogen paste? How come you don't mention this?
But, I do not for a second think that Humans, regardless what they do are ever going to be able to control the changes in the earths atmosphere. The sun's flares and eruptions, the magnetic feild that is shrinking, astroids that will hit this planet….how is humanity going to change that? It isn't carbon that is the problem. I can't believe that we are planning on slaughtering cattle because they produce methane….how much methane do 8 billion humans produce? Should we not be culling them then too?
Scientist should consider the hydrogen energy density if it can be managed for its storage for hydrogen combustion engines and if we stay on fuel cell then again metallurgy issues will be there. Electrodes for electrolyzers and for batteries.
First before we consider any new applications of hydrogen we need to clean up the production of old hydrogen demand for old applications.
If we create a new application and fuel it with green or pink hydrogen, it still has a terrible emissions footprint because it is not displacing old brown/black hydrogen.
Any new cleaner hydrogen production needs to go first to displace old brown/black hydrogen production.
Only once we are near 100% green/pink hydrogen production should we consider any new applications of hydrogen.
On top of that we need to consider if the green/nuclear energy used to make additional hydrogen would just be more beneficial plugged into the grid to displace fossil fuel energy used elsewhere before we bother using it to supply new applications of hydrogen.
So a lot needs to happen before any new applications of hydrogen can even be considered.
There is no climate crisis. The climate crisis exists only in bogus computer models and in the minds of gullible leftists.
The atmosphere needs more CO2, not less.
Just work on teleportation