What is Green Hydrogen?
We all knew that Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. When hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, it is known as grey hydrogen. If it is made using renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, or wind, it is referred to as green hydrogen.
Green hydrogen is produced with no emissions from these renewable sources.
Green Hydrogen Production Process:
Green Hydrogen is produced by using hydro, solar, or wind power, and any of these is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyser.
The generated renewable energy is fed into the electrolyser with water. An electrolyser uses this renewable electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a process called electrolysis. This process takes place in an electrolyser, which consists of two electrodes (an anode and a cathode) and an electrolyte. When electricity, sourced from renewable energy, is applied, water molecules (H2O) are split into oxygen (O2) at the anode and hydrogen (H2) at the cathode.
This allows the hydrogen to be harvested.
Below are the various electrolysis methods:
- Alkaline electrolysis – This method is commonly used for its cost-effectiveness
- PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) Technology – PEM is renowned for its efficiency, but may be more expensive to produce
- SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell) – SOEC operates at high temperatures, offering the potential for enhanced efficiency
Green Hydrogen for Power Generation:
Here is the real perspective: Green hydrogen is an energy carrier, not a primary energy source such as coal, oil, solar, hydro, or wind – it stores and transports energy produced from renewable resources.
Using Hydrogen as a combustion fuel, such as in gas turbines, is still under development, facing major challenges that include the higher cost of green hydrogen production compared to fossil fuels, the need for further research on hydrogen combustion technology, and potential issues related to hydrogen storage and transportation.
Off-grid Green-Hydrogen Plant:
In these plants, unlike conventional power plants, no power is generated directly using hydrogen as a fuel for combustion. By effectively utilizing renewable energy sources, hydrogen gas is produced at a lower cost.
An off-grid green hydrogen plant is a facility that produces hydrogen using electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, and is not connected to the main electrical grid.
The off-grid green hydrogen plant is powered by solar or wind energy and is integrated with a Battery Energy Storage System BESS, enabling it to operate completely off-grid.
Advantages of Green-Hydrogen Plants:
- Green Hydrogen is the cleanest form of energy, produced by using water.
- Green hydrogen can significantly stimulate industry decarbonisation and the nation’s economic growth over the next few decades.
- The plant relies entirely on its renewable energy generation for the hydrogen production process, known as renewable-powered hydrogen production.
- This provides valuable operational flexibility, particularly in addressing the variability of solar power, while ensuring efficiency, safety, and performance.
