Climate-Tech to Watch: Hydrogen Powered Aviation

Policymakers and the aviation industry see hydrogen as a promising low-carbon fuel for aviation. But to make hydrogen-powered flight a reality, they first need to bring down the cost of green hydrogen and overcome aircraft design challenges.

Commercial aviation accounted for roughly 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2018, and that share is expected to grow. And according to the Energy Information Administration, the aviation sector is not on track to reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Leaders in the aviation industry see hydrogen as a potential solution to addressing the climate impacts of short- …

The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan

The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan presents a pathway to rapidly accelerate hydrogen use across regions and sectors through new policies and industrial strategies, with a focus on leveraging regional hydrogen hubs as growth engines. Recently passed federal laws—the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—provide unprecedented clean hydrogen support and are expected to significantly reduce clean hydrogen production costs. This Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) study shows that additional measures are necessary to get from those cost reductions to a national, commoditized clean hydrogen market, and now is the time to take action.…

A Guide to 1.5°C-Aligned Hydrogen Investments

In a net-zero carbon emissions world in 2050, hydrogen will meet a significant portion of global energy demand, ranging from 5% to 22%, according to different organizations. Therefore, the world will require several times the quantities produced today and companies will need to produce it in a much less carbon-intense manner. Modeling shows that meeting this demand will happen through two main hydrogen production pathways: water electrolysis powered by renewable energies (otherwise known as green hydrogen) and natural gas reforming with carbon capture and storage (CCS) (otherwise known as blue hydrogen). Both will result in low levels of emissions. However, …

Connecticut Hydrogen Task Force Study

Clean hydrogen can play a major role in eliminating harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the global economy as a carbon-free form of fuel and energy storage. Its versatility to provide heat, fuel, and power system services can be leveraged in multiple vital economic sectors that are challenging to decarbonize, such as aviation, maritime applications, heavy-duty trucking, and high-temperature industrial processes, among others. With numerous ways to produce hydrogen, the specific approach chosen significantly impacts the carbon intensity – the fuel’s life cycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit of fuel or energy delivered – of the hydrogen produced as well …

The Potential Role of Biohydrogen in Creating a Net-Zero World

This report, part of the Carbon Management Initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy, explores the current state of play for biohydrogen (Bio-H2) and its potential contribution to decarbonization efforts. The report begins with an analysis of the varying definitions and categorization of Bio-H2 in the literature, which may relate to its classification as both a hydrogen and a bioenergy with a diverse selection of sources and manufacturing pathways. Next, it assesses the crucial question of Bio-H2’s carbon intensity, which has additional specifications to those of blue hydrogen (defined as hydrogen manufactured from natural gas with carbon capture and …

Minimizing Emissions from Grid-Based Hydrogen Production in the United States

Low-carbon hydrogen could be an important component of a net-zero carbon economy, helping to mitigate emissions in a number of hard-to-abate sectors. The United States recently introduced an escalating production tax credit (PTC) to incentivize production of hydrogen meeting increasingly stringent embodied emissions thresholds. Hydrogen produced via electrolysis can qualify for the full subsidy under current federal accounting standards if the input electricity is generated by carbon-free resources, but may fail to do so if emitting resources are present in the generation mix. While use of behind-the-meter carbon-free electricity inputs can guarantee compliance with this standard, the PTC could also …

The Role of Nuclear Power in the Hydrogen Economy: Cost and Competitiveness

Hydrogen is expected to play important roles in decarbonised energy systems, as an energy source for otherwise hard-to-electrify sectors as well as a storage vector to enhance power system flexibility. However, hydrogen is not a primary energy resource and has to be produced using different chemical processes. Water electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water molecules to extract hydrogen, is expected to become a leading solution in this context. Electrolysis will, however, only be a feasible solution if the electricity used as feedstock comes from low-carbon sources. A significant number of countries are therefore considering a role for nuclear energy …

Risk of the Hydrogen Economy for Atmospheric Methane

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, hydrogen losses to the atmosphere impact atmospheric chemistry, including positive feedback on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas. Here we investigate through a minimalist model the response of atmospheric methane to fossil fuel displacement by hydrogen. We find that CH4 concentration may increase or decrease depending on the amount of hydrogen lost to the atmosphere and the methane emissions associated with hydrogen production. Green H2 can mitigate atmospheric methane if hydrogen losses throughout the value chain are below 9 ± 3%. Blue H2 …

Renewable Hydrogen in Oregon: Opportunities and Challenges

There is unprecedented interest in hydrogen today for its potential to address climate change. This report presents the findings of the Oregon Department of Energy’s study on renewable hydrogen – what it is, how it’s made, what it might cost, and where it might best fit within the vision for a decarbonized economy in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

This study finds that the likeliest end uses for renewable hydrogen in Oregon by 2030 will be, in relative order of value, as a substitute for fossil hydrogen, to create high-temperature heat for industry, medium- and heavy-duty transportation, production of chemicals …

The Roadmap for a Green Hydrogen Economy in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is at the beginning of an exciting, yet challenging, energy transition journey as a regional energy leader and a powerhouse in petrochemicals. Its oil and gas infrastructure, including storage and export facilities, as well as operational experience gives them a head start when it comes to developing a hydrogen economy.
The energy sector already accounts for 40% of GDP and 80% of export earnings, through the production and exports of oil and gas as well as petrochemicals. This existing heritage and the associated established infrastructure provide Trinidad and Tobago with the key competitive advantage over other nations …