There are many arguments brought for both, some categorize it as a game changer while others look at it more like a chimera, something which is hyped or illusory, impossible to achieve. I will try to look at it from my view, what I understand of this whole process. Currently, a lot of research is being done on Hydrogen, reducing the leakage in production, and developing efficient fuel cells. Automobile manufacturers are working on efficient fuel cells that use hydrogen as a fuel source. We do have some, not very efficient using grey hydrogen, which is already manufactured and used in many places.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element, and equally flammable too. There are many types of hydrogen depending on how they are created. So, not all hydrogen is the same. Green hydrogen, blue hydrogen, brown hydrogen, yellow hydrogen, turquoise hydrogen, and pink hydrogen, the natural state is referred to as white hydrogen. I will explain each, green being the last among them.

Not all Hydrogen is the same.

We have white, red, pink, purple, turquoise, brown, grey, blue, and finally, the one we want to get in high volumes green.

White –

Naturally occurring hydrogen is referred to as white.

Red Hydrogen –

This is produced by splitting water through the catalytic conversion process using nuclear thermal power.

Pink Hydrogen –

This is like red hydrogen with the source being the same but differs in its creation. It is produced by the electrolysis of water instead of the catalytic splitting done in the red process. The energy source is still the same as nuclear.

Purple Hydrogen –

This is also like the red hydrogen process with the same nuclear source but is created by the chemo thermal splitting of water.

Turquoise Hydrogen –

This is produced by thermal extraction by splitting methane, methane consists of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Both are separated and carbon is captured in a solid form instead of CO2. This is still in the experimental stages. Solid carbon can be reused in rubber or buried inside the earth.

Brown or black Hydrogen –

This is produced through the gasification of Coal depending on the type of coal used. This is a polluting process as a large amount of CO and CO2 is released into the air.

Gray Hydrogen –

Here the hydrogen is produced through fossil fuels. Hydrogen is separated from methane by using fossil fuels. This is the current method of producing hydrogen. CO2 is again released into the air. This is the current widely used method to create hydrogen as fuel.

Blue Hydrogen –

Similar to gray hydrogen where the source is fossil fuels, the generated carbon is captured or reused in byproducts like it is done in the turquoise hydrogen process.

Green Hydrogen –

This is generated through water electrolysis by using renewable energy sources. The green part is given to it as it is generated through green sources with no carbon emissions.

Is Green Hydrogen the next big thing?

A lot of development is being done to generate green hydrogen. Renewable energy is abundant and the idea is that the excess electricity generated is used to separate hydrogen and oxygen from the water through electrolysis. There is no pollution when this is used as a fuel in automobiles as water is the byproduct when it burns to run it. The hydrogen combines back with the oxygen in the air to produce water. Many countries and companies are working on it. BP is spending 2 billion dollars in Spain for green hydrogen. India is spending more than 3 billion on its research and development.

Solar electricity generation is cheap but the problem is storage. If solar energy is used to generate hydrogen during the day, how can it be used at night when there is no sun? Battery storage is expensive which is 6 times more than it takes for solar power generation. Lithium is widely used for battery power but the mining process is polluting. Solid state battery is in research. To make it viable we would need to have a cheap alternative for battery storage so that the electricity generated during the day can be stored and used in the nighttime.

This is where green hydrogen could be a game changer. Generation and storage of green hydrogen can be done in the daytime. Storage must be such that it is safe for transportation and use. The stored hydrogen in tanks can be used by the vehicle fuel cells where the hydrogen is broken into electrons and protons to produce electricity for the vehicle producing water vapors in the process as a byproduct. We would need efficient fuel cells for usage in automobiles. Another advantage is that it takes 4 min to fill the tank and mileage can be more than 300 miles. Unlike EVs, where we have limited mileage and take hours to reach full capacity. Auto companies are working on creating these fuel cells but progress is slow and still in development.

So, to conclude green hydrogen can be good for mankind’s future but it cannot be looked at in silo as it has a dependency on completing the cycle of usage. Till we get to efficient fuel cell development and safe transportation and use, we will depend on EVs as those are closest to our goal of getting to a carbon-neutral society. Solar started in a similar way, initially, it was expensive to generate solar cells, but now it is one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity. Green hydrogen may go the same way, there is hope.