Blue hydrogen can play a major role in a cleaner energy future
The world needs cleaner energy sources, and hydrogen deserves a seat at the head table. But in the race to advance the technology to separate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, an all-too-familiar refrain has reared its head: The only good hydrogen is green hydrogen.
This narrow view of hydrogen reduces the full potential of the environmentally friendly rainbow.
Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable energy to power the molecule split; blue hydrogen uses natural gas as the power source.
As we’ve noted here, here and here, it’s foolhardy to force our energy future into an either/or choice between renewables and fossil fuels. Diversity is what will lead to sustainability.
What the only-green faction chooses to ignore is that the carbon dioxide generated during the production of blue hydrogen is not released into the air — it’s stored permanently underground through carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). This technology provides heavy natural gas users like manufacturing plants with a much cleaner fuel source to power their operations. From an environmental, social and governance (ESG) perspective, blue hydrogen is a win-win for them, the gas industry and the environment.
In fact, the natural gas industry is making major investments in innovation to diversify energy sources for powering a cleaner energy and manufacturing future.
A quick look at just one company shows the difference the industry can make. ExxonMobil plans to build a world-scale blue hydrogen plant at its Baytown, Texas, refining and petrochemical complex. Combined with carbon capture and storage, hydrogen will support its plans to reduce emissions across its operations. Plus, the plant could generate up to 1 billion cubic feet of hydrogen per day for Houston-area plants. ExxonMobil also has signed an agreement with gas distribution company SGN and Green Investment Group to find ways to reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions in the Southampton, United Kingdom, area using low-carbon hydrogen.
Critics pontificating that there is only one true way to cleaner energy offer a false choice and do a grave disservice to the innovators in the industry. There’s room at the table for everyone.
