Stream Now
Shows
See All Shows
Gold Rush
Naked and Afraid
Expedition Unknown
Deadliest Catch
Moonshiners
Harpoon Hunters
Homestead Rescue
See All Shows
Schedule
Digital generated image of H2 hydrogen icon made out of green sustainable city with wind turbines and solar panels on blue background.

1355028471

Digital generated image of H2 hydrogen icon made out of green sustainable city with wind turbines and solar panels on blue background.

Photo by: Andriy Onufriyenko

Andriy Onufriyenko

Green Hydrogen Will Fuel the World’s Zero-Carbon Industries

By: Robin Fearon

One of the challenges in establishing a zero-emission green hydrogen network in the US is stabilizing supply and storage. Hydrogen (H2) is a carbon-free fuel and an $8 billion ‘H2 Hubs’ program from the Department of Energy aims to ramp up production. But keeping the industry environmentally neutral is difficult.

June 21, 2022

Companies like SoCalGas in California are part of a Green Hydrogen Coalition focusing on renewable energy to create hydrogen. Solar power will be used to replace almost 25 percent of the company’s current natural gas production, with plans to convert up to four natural gas power plants to green hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a clean-burning gas that can be used in power generation, energy storage, and as automotive fuel. SoCalGas is developing what it says will be the US’ largest green hydrogen pipeline system, the Angeles Link. First among its priorities will be to decarbonize Los Angeles water and power plants, the ports in LA and Long Beach, and trucks servicing heavy industry.

Meanwhile, fuel cell and hydrogen producer Plug Power has deployed more than 165 fueling stations in its gas network. The company plans to build green hydrogen plants in Lousiana and New York that together will produce around 60 metric tons each day and aims to establish production at 500 metric tons daily by 2025.

Plug Power believes that nobody will buy so-called blue or gray hydrogen made from natural gas, which is associated with high levels of carbon dioxide emissions if there is a ready supply of green H2.

Blue hydrogen uses carbon capture and storage technology that is still too expensive and inefficient after decades of research to remove all carbon emissions. And Cornell and Stamford University researchers say both blue and gray may be worse for the climate than burning gas or coal.

Transport is just one of many industries aiming for rapid decarbonization. Rocketing natural gas and oil prices have made driving too expensive for already taxed households. So a switch to green hydrogen makes sense, rather than extracting it from expensive and environmentally damaging fossil fuels.

Phasing out gasoline cars and trucks for H2 and fuel cell technology means quickly building more hydrogen-ready commercial vehicles. The US Department of Energy is currently researching onboard storage tanks that will allow vehicles to drive more than 300 miles on one fill.

Breakthroughs in fuel cell technology are coming too. Researchers at Australian hydrogen electrolyzer firm Hysata have developed a unit that produces green hydrogen from water at 98 percent cell energy efficiency to match the production costs of fossil fuels.

Hysata’s chief technology officer Gerry Sweigers described the introduction of their new category electrolyzer in terms “as monumental as the shift from the internal combustion engine to electric motors.”


Hydrogen promises to revitalize and decarbonize heavy industries like shipping, steel, and chemicals, not just domestic transport and home heating, and that makes it a green, flexible replacement for fossil fuels. If the Department of Energy hits its target of reducing H2 production costs by 80 percent to around one dollar per kilogram in a decade then a hydrogen strategy looks like the right call.

Next Up

World's First Malaria Vaccine Offers Hope to Millions

Tens of thousands of lives could be saved each year from sickness and death caused by malaria following the World Health Organization (WHO) approval of a first-ever vaccine. Scientists have recommended the RTS,S vaccine for children in sub-Saharan Africa and other high-risk areas to prevent one of the world’s oldest and deadliest infectious diseases.

There's a Biodiversity Crisis--Here's What You Need to Know

Despite the world slowing down during the pandemic and studies hailing the slowdown of pollution and positive benefits on the environment, there’s one thing that continued full throttle: the globe’s biodiversity crisis.

Scientists in China Discover Rare Moon Crystal that Could Power Earth

A rare lunar crystal found on the near side of the moon is giving scientists hope of providing limitless power for the world – forever.

How 3D Print Building is Changing the Future

Building with 3D printing technology is sparking widespread interest in the construction industry. Besides reducing waste and our impact on the environment, it can speed up construction from weeks, or months, to days. Projects that use simple raw materials like soil, straw, and even salt, can be built in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional construction.

Neuroprosthetic Sensory Devices are Reconnecting People to the World

Sensory loss has a profound effect on millions of people’s everyday lives. Sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste can all be affected, diminishing their experience of the world. But now, thanks to neuroprosthetic technology we can tap into nerve and brain function, and rewire these lost connections.

Sustainable Aviation Will Reduce Jet Fuel Emissions to Zero

Zero carbon flights are the ultimate goal for an airline industry that relies heavily on fossil fuels. Aviation pumps out at least 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions today. Sustainable aviation fuels will shrink the industry’s climate risk by 2030, but zero-emissions fuels like hydrogen are beginning to emerge.

Insect Feed Can Transform the Farming Industry

Feeding insects to farm animals could be the environmental revolution that the livestock industry has been waiting for. Insects, a rich source of protein and part of the natural diet for pigs, poultry, and fish, use a fraction of the land and water needed to raise soybeans for feed and produce lower carbon emissions.

This Storm Made the Skies Turn Green in South Dakota

On Tuesday, severe storms swept through South Dakota bringing bright green skies. What caused this phenomenon?

Digital Twin Cities Can Shrink the Impact of Planet’s Largest Polluters

Cities are the planet’s largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions, so they offer the greatest opportunity to tackle climate change. Hitting net zero emissions by 2050, a target set at the COP26 summit, could be achieved more quickly using city digital twins – working virtual replicas – that help track, manage and reduce environmental damage rapidly.

Doing Renewables Right

Having a “net-zero future” – where the world isn’t emitting excess carbon dioxide – can seem like a far-off pipe dream.With sea levels still rising, wildfires becoming more and more frequent – alongside other extreme weather like floods and storms – and biodiversity rapidly dwindling, it’s imperative we focus on expanding renewable energy across the world, increasing energy sources to help mitigate the impact that fossil fuels have on the climate.