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hydrogen energy

the cost of producing hydrogen carbon The hydrogen economy is premised on This curtailed energy output could be
capture and storage is about 45% higher. the use of hydrogen as a fuel, particularly used to produce about 1.5 million tons
And the cost of CO2 avoidance is also high, for electricity production and hydrogen of hydrogen, enough to power about 10
at about €70 per ton. This is not financially vehicles; and using hydrogen for long- million hydrogen-based fuel cell cars for
viable and would require technological term energy storage and for the long- one year. This avoids about 30 million tons
breakthroughs in carbon capture and distance transportation of low-carbon of CO2 emissions. In line with national air
storage to become a sustainable solution. energy. The key to achieving such a quality objectives, ADB has supported
As an alternative, hydrogen can also be hydrogen economy is to bring the cost of fuel cell buses in Zhangjiakou City in Hebei
produced by electrolysis, which uses hydrogen down from more than $10 per Province, the site of next Winter Olympic
electricity to split water into hydrogen and kg to about $2 per kg, which would then Games.
oxygen, using zero-carbon and low-cost be competitive with natural gas. What are the next steps? Development
renewable energy. Hydrogen produced Developing countries would be the finance institutions such as ADB can do
from renewable electricity also could big winners from the move toward a more by supporting its members in five
facilitate the integration of high levels of hydrogen economy. First, on the supply specific ways:
variable renewable energy into the energy side, developing countries could tap their • Share information on hydrogen
system by using surplus renewable output renewable energy resources to produce energy so policy makers and industry
for electrolysis, storing hydrogen for long hydrogen and export it to other countries, players are aware of the latest trends
periods of time, then using hydrogen to as is already done with liquefied natural and technologies
produce electricity in fuel cells. gas.
• Help governments to develop a
This overall cycle is somewhat similar to strategy, roadmap and regulatory
pumped hydropower storage in terms framework for hydrogen energy
of the ability for long-term storage and For example, renewable energy development
time-shifting of renewable output. The (including hydropower, wind,
oxygen produced by electrolysis also has biomass and solar) in the • Enhance the carbon trading platform
market value for industrial and medical Lao People’s Democratic to cover the extra cost of fossil fuel-
applications (it is important to keep Republic (Lao PDR) may based hydrogen production with
in mind that for each kg of hydrogen carbon capture and storage
produced there are eight kilograms of represent a potential of • Pilot hydrogen technologies and
oxygen produced). Developing countries about 50 gigawatts (GW). The business models for scaling up
can maximize the development of country and its neighbors
their renewable energy potential by need about 20 GW to meet • Finance hydrogen energy projects,
participating in the global hydrogen their electricity demand, including production, transportation
economy. so the unused renewable and distribution infrastructure, as
well as market applications.
energy potential could be Adopting these initiatives will make
used to produce hydrogen developing countries “hydrogen ready”.
The world needs pioneers with zero CO2 emissions. So For the good of the environment and
who are willing to take the potentially, Lao PDR could the development of new and dynamic
lead and bear the cost of “first become a significant exporter industries, the world is undergoing a
low carbon energy transformation. No
movers” for hydrogen energy, of renewable energy through country should be left behind. (Courtesy
just like Germany did for solar the hydrogen supply chain. of the ADB blog)
photovoltaic technology. In
Japan, as part of its “3E+S” Second, on the demand side, developing
(energy security, economic countries could start using hydrogen
technologies in specific areas. For
efficiency and environmental example, fuel cell vehicles can be charged
protection, plus safety) fully with hydrogen within five minutes
energy policy, the government for a driving range of 500 kilometers and
formulated the world’s more, with zero CO2, sulfur dioxide or
first 21st century hydrogen nitrogen oxide emissions.
strategy in December 2017, In recent years, due to transmission
with the aim of establishing a bottlenecks, the People’s Republic of China Dr. Yongping Zhai is Chief of Energy
“hydrogen economy” by 2050. has been curtailing its renewable energy Sector Group, Sustainable Development
(wind, solar and hydro) power generation and Climate Change Department
by about 100 terawatt hours annually.

AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol 28, Issue 29, 2019 | 33