Bob Ciesielski, Atlantic Chapter Energy Committee Chair
There has been a recent increase in the promotion of hydrogen as a “clean” fuel. While hydrogen fuel cells can be used strategically in difficult situations to provide clean power, the gas industry both in Europe and the United States is hyping the large-scale use of hydrogen to maintain the current reliance on methane gas and gas pipelines to produce electricity. In New York, the fossil fuel industry’s public relations juggernaut has integrated the discussion of “green” hydrogen into an attempt to justify proposed gas-fired power plants in Danskammer and Astoria in New York City.
The gas industry is claiming that it will begin burning a mixture of “clean” hydrogen and fracked gas at proposed power plants. The industry also holds forth the theoretical concept of retrofitting and transforming these plants to become completely powered by “green” hydrogen power by 2040, New York State’s deadline for a zero-emissions electric sector. There are many serious problems with this concept.
Of the three major types of hydrogen production, “green” hydrogen uses renewable energy, such as hydro, solar or wind power, to operate an electrolysis system that separates hydrogen from oxygen in water molecules (H2O). This process is extremely energy intensive and would require large amounts of renewable electricity to operate on a large-scale basis.
Presently, some 95% of hydrogen comes from “gray” hydrogen produced by breaking down methane (CH4) molecules. Besides deriving “gray” hydrogen from fracked methane, fossil fuels are also burned in the steam process to break down the methane molecules. Much of this “gray” hydrogen is now utilized by the chemical industry and in refining oil. A third method of extracting so-called “blue” hydrogen is similar to “gray” hydrogen, except that it depends on its greenhouse gas emissions being controlled through carbon capture and sequestration.
At the recent NYS Public Service Commission’s hearings for the Danskammer gas-power plant, a supporter of hydrogen fuel claimed that Europe will be producing “green” hydrogen in massive quantities, and that this type of hydrogen for combustion will be readily available in the future. However, research into hydrogen use in Europe reveals that even its strongest proponents believe that some 80% of methane produced would have to come from the “blue” methane process, dependent on carbon capture and sequestration of fossil fuels to make large-scale clean hydrogen economically feasible. A massive transformation to hydrogen fuel at current gas-field power plants would still use an enormous amount of methane and fossil fuels in 2040.
Another serious problem with the hydrogen theory is that gas-powered turbines cannot now be operated by hydrogen. Most gas plant generators today are designed to emit low levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and cannot handle high concentrations of hydrogen. Besides, the pipelines that transport gas to generators cannot safely contain high concentrations of hydrogen as the gas weakens pipelines and generators significantly by making the metal brittle. To operate safely, the gas industry is currently only able to transport some 5% to 10% of hydrogen in a fracked gas/hydrogen mix in pipelines.
Moreover, the operation of power generators with hydrogen releases a high level of nitrogen oxide (NOx) during combustion. European studies have found that burning hydrogen as a fuel in an industrial setting can lead to emissions up to six times that of methane. The health dangers of NOx emissions are significant. Our Atlantic Chapter and other organizers in New York State have been attempting to shut down gas and combined gas-oil peaker plants downstate because of their high releases of NOx emissions that contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses.
Nationwide, the attempt by the fossil fuel industry to blend methane with fracked gas nationwide is significant. A current proposal is to attempt to blend 30% hydrogen with 70% fracked gas for use in Los Angeles, which would significantly increase both carbon dioxide (CO2) and NOx emissions.
Overall, there is a real danger of our state and country investing heavily in the “clean” hydrogen fuel path, which would provide little, if any, increase in air quality. We must avoid another misplaced effort at developing clean burning fuels as has happened with ethanol gasoline and burning toxic waste and tires.
An over-development of “green” hydrogen could be devastating due to the energy intensive nature of its production. The amount of renewable electricity required for the process would misdirect the use of renewable electricity from proven and necessary technologies, such as electric vehicles and electric heat pumps.
Sources
Clean Energy Group: https://www.cleanegroup.org/hydrogen-hype-in-the-air/
Union of Concerned Scientists: https://blog.ucsusa.org/julie-mcnamara/whats-the-role-of-hydrogen-in-the-clean-energy-transition