An Najah National University

Faculty of Graduate Studies

Green Hydrogen
Prepared by
Majeda Alhaj-Hussein
Submitted to
Dr. Abdel Fattah Hasan

This report submitted as a semester-research project for

Aquatic Chemistry
course (461650),
in Master of Water and Environmental Engineering
Abstract

Hydrogen, as one of the best substitutes for traditional fuels, is predicted to play a
critical part in the future Low-Carbon Economy.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen that is created utilizing renewable resources, it is a form

of low-carbon renewable energy, and its value comes from its capacity to produce large
amounts of energy with little environmental impact. currently GH is created using
several methods such as thermo-catalysis, thermolysis-electrolysis, photo-catalysis,
photo-prospects, electrochemical process, and bio-photolysis.

The difficulties of storage and transportation, as well as the high cost of its manufacture
from renewable energies, which is three times the output of fossil fuels, are among the
most significant problems that need to be developed technologies to expedite by
extending its production globally.

The above leads us to ask a question about the concept of green hydrogen: What is it?
How does it vary from the common, emissions-heavy blue and "grey" hydrogen?

Introduction
Hydrogen has emerged as an important renewable energy source with certain
distinguished characteristics, and because it is abundant, theoretically there are no
boundaries to its production.

It is light, storable, and has a high heat value density, where heat value is the quantity
of heat emitted during fuel burning, also known as energy/heat value (Jkg-1).

The following Table compares the heat value of H2 to that of typical organic fuels.

Fuel Heat Value ( MJ/kg )

Hydrogen (H2) 120-142

Methane (CH4) 50-55 50-55
Methanol (CH3OH) 22.7
Dimethyl ether - DME (CH3OCH3) 29
Petrol/gasoline 44-46
Diesel fuel 42-46
Crude oil 42-47
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 46-51
Natural gas 42-55

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The burning of hydrogen produces zero emissions nor greenhouse gases (GHG). The
utilization of H2 as a power source was established in the twentieth century, and since
that the hydrogen market has seen significant progress in recent decades. Hydrogen will
play an important part in the renewable energy economy, contributing to lower GHG
emissions, a zero-carbon economy, and other societal advantages.

Hydrogen is an excellent fuel for global decarbonization and de-fossilization, and it will
aid in the establishment of energy self-sufficiency. Currently, H2 is largely employed in
the manufacturing of chemicals, fertilizers, petroleum, metal treatment, food
processing, and rocket fuel. It may also be used to power homes, factories, transit, and
autos, and it is predicted to overtake the automobile sector in the future decades.
Significant financing are being made in the hydrogen economy and infrastructure as a
result of rising conventional fuel prices and environmental concerns.

Governments around the world are focused significantly on hydrogen production, with
a strong necessity to focus on hydrogen consumption in many sectors to reduce GHG
emissions. At the moment, producing H2 from renewable sources costs approximately
two to seven times more often than producing H2 from Nat. gas without carbon capture.
According to International Energy Agency (IEA) reports, there was no substantial
advancement in the domain of Green Hydrogen until 2010 due to the restricted output
of H2 production plants (one megawatt) via electrolysis. This figure has recently risen
as more hydrogen generating units with capacities of up to 25 MW have been erected,
for example, in 2020 A 10 MW project was built in Japan, while a 20 MW facility was
built in Canada. Recently, the private sector invested in 700 MW electrolyzers.
According to IEA studies, tremendous progress has recently been made with promising
chances for renewables with potential lower costs, lower energy loss, and almost zero
GHG emissions. However, there are several numbers of technological and commercial
difficulties for the green hydrogen economy, including:

a) Green Hydrogen generation is expensive, with prices from 5-7 US$/kg

b) Minimal hydrogen demand in several industries
c) inaccessibility of large-scale green hydrogen production and storage
technologies.
d) insufficient infrastructure for the same.

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Types of Hydrogen
Hydrogen can be categorized into three broad groups based on its source of creation, as
indicated below:

1. Grey Hydrogen: created when hydrogen is manufactured using fossil fuels.

2. Blue Hydrogen: resulting if CO2 is trapped during the production of grey
hydrogen using fossil fuels
3. Green Hydrogen: generated using electrolytic water splitting, using
renewable energy sources with zero carbon emissions.

In addition to the aforementioned, the following sub-classification is widely known in

the industries:

a) Pink Hydrogen: hydrogen is created by using nuclear energy to electrolyze

water
b) Turquoise Hydrogen: hydrogen is created through the pyrolysis of methane
c) Yellow Hydrogen: solar energy is used to electrolyze water, which produces
hydrogen.
d) White Hydrogen: underground deposits include naturally occurring geological
hydrogen.
e) Brown Hydrogen: resulting from the gasification of coal or lignite.

Source:https://aeclinic.org/aec-blog/2021/6/24/the-colors-of-hydrogen

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Green Hydrogen
What is Green Hydrogen?

Green hydrogen is hydrogen created by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using
renewable energy. This is a completely different path from both grey and blue.

The splitting process is aided by solar energy, which reduces the amount of electrical
energy required to break the chemical bonds in the water molecule in order to make
hydrogen and oxygen.

Green Hydrogen Applications

Green Hydrogen can be consumed immediately or pumped into the gas distribution
system. In the latter situation, because it can be kept and transferred, it can be created
in one location and at one moment and utilized in another location at a later period,
resulting in the separation of the creation and consuming processes.

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The main applications for green hydrogen include:

1. Industry: presently contributes for further than 90% of global hydrogen use ,
although this is mostly due to grey hydrogen, or CO2-containing hydrogen.
Using green hydrogen in these processes would be a significant step toward
reducing industry's environmental imprint.

2. Transport : Vehicles is another industry where renewable gases, notably

hydrogen, will be critical. Many efforts are presently underway to produce
hydrogen-powered vehicles of many types, including aircraft, fuel cell electric
automobiles, rail, and sea transportation. Utilization of renewable gases for
transportation will result in the decarbonization of one of the categories that
generates the most CO2 and has the biggest influence on environmental quality
in our cities. By 2030, 10 to 15 million vehicles are predicted to run using green
hydrogen. However, it will be necessary for the decarbonizing of heavy
transport, rail, and shipping routes.
3. Domestic uses: This regenerative gas is appropriate for both household and
business use. Its primary advantage is that it can be carried and stored utilizing
the existing grid without requiring major extra network investments.
4. Electricity generation: Green hydrogen can be directed to power generation
and delivered into the system during off-peak hours by utilizing excess
renewable electricity produced during peak hours.

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Hydrogen Production Technologies

In this study, I will concentrate on current advancements in Water Electrolysis

technology, it is the oldest way of creating hydrogen, extending back to the nineteenth
century; it commonly a DC electricity source coupled to electrodes, which are
subsequently immersed in water. The movement of a current flow separates water
molecules into their constituents, causing hydrogen to appear on the cathodes and
oxygen to appear on the anode side. The input of an electrolytes to the liquid (such as
a salt, acid, or alkaline) and the usage of electro-catalysts, which accelerate the rate of
the reaction, boost the efficiency of electrolysis.

Water Electrolysis Technologies:

While there are other techniques for producing hydrogen, the great bulk of global
hydrogen production now originates from nonrenewable fossil fuels, specifically steam
reforming of methane, because it is inexpensive and high efficiency. However, these
procedures tend to yield less pure hydrogen, in addition to emitting dangerous
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As a result, new sustainable energy techniques
are being developed to substitute for the current system, specifically via water
electrolysis; this process allows for the creation of environmentally, high-purity
hydrogen while still emitting oxygen as a byproduct as demonstrated by the next
equation

electricity + heat
H2O H2 + 1/2 O2

However, as a result of high consumption costs and poor hydrogen output rates,
hydrogen production is still not financially feasible. Many academics have been seeking
for options having low-cost electrocatalysts and lower energy usage in order to improve
overall efficiency.

H2O molecules are the reactant in electrolysis operations, dissociating into hydrogen
and oxygen in an oxidation-reduction process under the effect of electricity and heat.
Based on the operating parameters, the electrolyte and electrolyzer employed, and the
ionic agent present (OH, H+, O2), this process can be divided into three types: alkaline
electrolysis (AEL), proton-exchange membrane electrolysis (PEMEL), and solid oxide
electrolysis (SOEL).

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A) Alkaline Water Electrolysis: (AEL)

Cathode: 2H2O + 2e- → H2 + 2 OH-

Anode : 2OH- → H2O + 1/2 O2 + 2e-

B) Proton-Exchange Membrane Electrolysis: (PEMEL)

Cathode: H2O → 2H+ + 1/2 O2+ 2e-

Anode : 2H+ + 2e- → H2

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C) solid oxide electrolysis (SOEL):

Cathode: H2O + 2e- → H2+ O-2

Anode : O-2 + → 1/2O2 + 2e-

Cost & Challenges to future of Green Hydrogen

Since a kilogram of hydrogen has the energy equivalent of three kilograms of nat gas,
the overall price of Green Hydrogen usually includes expenses, investment costs, and
the cost of electrolysers, which is around two to three times that of blue hydrogen.

There are several technological and commercial hurdles, including as the narrow
capability of hydrogen utilization in diverse industries, Electrolyzers are very
expensive, and Inadequate availability of relevant technology for large-scale Green
Hydrogen production

1. Lack of enabling infrastructure for Green Hydrogen production

2. Lack of enabling infrastructure for Green Hydrogen production.

3. To reduce the cost, alternative electrolytes must be studied and produced.

4. In the green hydrogen sector, there is a lack of finance.

5.There aren't enough technology.

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CONCLUSION

GH serves as one of the most attractive renewable and sustainable energy transporters,
producing just water as a byproduct and generating no carbon. Hydrogen is primarily
used in commercial processes such like fertilizer application, petroleum refinery
operations, the petrochemical and chemical manufacturers, and fuel cells due to its
many appealing characteristics as an energy carrier, including a high efficiency (which
is more and over twice that of classic solid fuels). The advancement of renewable
hydrogen manufacturing technologies is a critical step toward achieving a sustainable
life on this planet; the use of environmentally friendly resources for energy creation is
critical. Even though renewable production of hydrogen technologies have made
significant advances recently, increasing their feasibility as a large-scale energy
generation method, greater efficiency is still required for them to be economical with
current hydrogen manufacturing techniques based on fossil fuels.

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References
1. Leonardo Vidas and Rui Castro: Recent Developments on Hydrogen Production
Technologies: State-of-the-Art Review with a Focus on Green-Electrolysis, 1
December 2021.
2. Robin Singha, Neha Tiwaria, R.K.Vijb and Ramesh K. Gudurua: A Critical Review on
Green Hydrogen>“Path to hydrogen competitiveness A cost perspective,” 2020.
[Online]. Available: www.hydrogencouncil.com.
3. “Hydrogen: the future fuel to achieve net zero? | National Grid
Group.”https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/journey-to-net-zero-
stories/hydrogen-future-fuel-achieve-net-zero(accessed Oct. 25, 2021).
4. G. Shi, J. Liu, B. Chen, Y. Bao, and J. Xu, “Phase-controlled growth of cubic phase CuO
nanoparticles by chemical vapor deposition,” Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications
and Materials Science, vol. 214, no. 10, Oct.2017, doi: 10.1002/pssa.201700041.

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