In an On Physical Sciences blog, DrJakeW & Peter Newman discuss how electrification has surpassed many hydrogen applications – and the need for the strategic use of hydrogen in applications for which there are little to no zero-carbon alternatives.
Given hydrogen is energy-intensive to produce, it must be used strategically and sparingly…Investing in hydrogen must be very focused on what direct use of renewables can’t solve
If we are not strategic in the application of hydrogen, we risk supporting the development of a relatively energy-intensive technology that increases costs, and that could jeopardize the achievement of net zero by 2050.Why can’t we simply use hydrogen for everything? While it is true that hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, rarely is it freely available.
Given hydrogen is energy-intensive to produce, it must be used strategically and sparingly to not force an even more massive increase in renewable energy production, beyond the unprecedented levels already required, when the option of using renewables directly to solve decarbonization is much more attractive economically.
Meanwhile, lobbying continues to set up major infrastructure for the widespread application of hydrogen or to use hydrogen labelled with different colors which, apart from green hydrogen, are simply not good enough as they depend on fossil fuels.The widespread use of hydrogen in applications like road transport e.g. cars and trucks, is unlikely in the near term. Hydrogen vehicles will always consume two to four times more energy than battery electric vehicles.
The need to create infrastructure for a potential hydrogen fleet of trucks and trains is a waste of money and resources at this time. A similar argument can be made about using hydrogen in natural gas pipelines for residential heating and cooking. We propose a clear roadmap for supporting the acceleration of renewable hydrogen production, and ultimately a reduction in the cost of producing renewable hydrogen to spur adoption – see the Figure below: