ENERGY

How does hydrogen, the fuel of the future, function exactly?

Almost infinite amounts of hydrogen may be discovered as a naturally occurring chemical element. Unlike air, it does not produce CO2 emissions when burned, is neither corrosive or radioactive, and is 14 times lighter than air. Hydrogen-rich materials such as natural gas, biomass, or water, on the other hand, have to be separated from this colorless and odorless gas in order to utilize the gas’s energy content. The process of electrolyzing water to produce oxygen and hydrogen is known as water electrolysis. Both the manufacturing technique and the environmental impact of a product are indicated via a color-coding scheme. Renewable energy, such as wind or solar power, may be used to generate green hydrogen from water electrolysis. In the old-fashioned way, natural gas is used to make grey hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is a term used to describe carbon emissions that are not discharged into the atmosphere but rather absorbed and stored. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, turquoise hydrogen, a process that involves thermally separating methane, creates solid carbon.

A green hydrogen revolution is being ushered in by RWE

Energy-intensive industries are expected to benefit from hydrogen’s participation in the decarbonization of such industries. To further reduce CO2 emissions, hydrogen might be employed in the transportation sector and for heat delivery in the longer future as an alternative fuel source. It is known as sector coupling because of the ever-increasing interconnection of possible uses (electricity and heat as well as transportation and manufacturing).
For climate neutrality, green hydrogen is a crucial technology. This is for a number of good reasons:

  • There are no emissions at any stage of production or use.
  • Carry-on, warehousing, and handling safety
  • Natural gas may be blended with hydrocarbons, which can be utilized as either a fuel or raw material.
  • is used to make e-fuels, such as those for automobiles, aviation, and ships.
  • Widespread social acceptance of little land usage
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RWE and its partners are actively working on 30 green hydrogen projects. Hydrogen infrastructure growth is made possible because to the company’s presence throughout the whole value chain. As a result of the development of large-scale gas-fired power plants, wind power, and the production of green hydrogen RWE, on the other hand, has vast experience and skill in producing hydrogen throughout Europe. Participation in initiatives like GET H2, NortH2, and AquaVentus is one example of this.

Hydrogen is now green thanks to a set of rules

The energy transformation and climate neutrality cannot be achieved without green hydrogen. Hydrogen must be created from renewable sources in order to be considered “green.” A separate legislative instrument is needed to finalize the EU’s universal norms for this, although they are already in place.

Offshore-to-X

BASF and RWE are interested in working together to develop innovative climate-protection technology. Coal-free chemicals and green hydrogen are the main goals of each firms’ statement of purpose. The Ludwigshafen chemical plant might become a model for environmental preservation in the chemical sector thanks to the utilization of renewable energy and cutting-edge technologies. A new offshore wind farm with a capacity of 2 gigawatts will provide BASF with green power beginning in 2030.