As global businesses accelerate their transition to sustainable and carbon-neutral solutions, hydrogen energy stands out as one of the most advanced carriers of energy for the future. Green hydrogen (or zero-emission hydrogen), is produced through a process called electrolysis using renewable power (sun or wind) to produce hydrogen without carbon emissions in the process. Green hydrogen is a zero-emission fuel that could replace fossil fuels in the industries with the most difficulty decarbonizing. Industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, heavy transport methods, and power generation have historically grappled with decarbonization because of the high heat requirements (e.g., steel and cement), process emissions (e.g., chemicals), or simply being constant power required (e.g., heavy transport systems (trucks) and continuous energy demand (e.g., power generation). Green hydrogen is uniquely positioned to support fossil fuel-free solutions and decarbonization without losing efficiency, performance or productivity in any of these industries as they transition from coal to oil or gas. As governments and companies worldwide make commitments to net-zero timelines, work is advancing to take green hydrogen technology from pilot projects to large-scale deployment in the existing industrial energy system, creating a new generation of industrial energy consumption.
Why Green Hydrogen Matters
According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide hydrogen demand is expected to grow from about 95 million tonnes today to just under 180 million tonnes by 2030. However, over 95 percent of this hydrogen comes from grey hydrogen produced from natural gas, which generates considerable CO₂ emissions. Green hydrogen does not produce these emissions, which is the reason it is at the core of many decarbonization agendas globally.
Some of the benefits include:
- Zero carbon at the point of use
- Can replace fossil fuels in high-temperature processes
- High energy density allows for storage and long-range transportation
- Provides energy flexibility for highly renewable penetration grids
Industrial Applications of Green Hydrogen
1) Steel and Metal Processing
The steel sector alone is responsible for roughly 7 percent of global CO₂ emissions. Conventional methods of producing steel rely on the use of coke (a derivative of coal) and are made in blast furnacs. Green hydrogen can create a viable alternative route that uses Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) processes.
During DRI, hydrogen will react with iron ore to produce iron and water vapour, rather than iron and CO₂.
Several of the world’s largest steel producers such as ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel and SSAB have announced the transition of some of their pilot plants to use hydrogen in their processes. India, one of the fastest growing steel production countries in the world, is also exploring upgrades to hydrogen-based production in integrated steel plants that are a critical part of the country’s steel production ecosystem.
2) Ammonia and Fertilizer Production
The Haber–Bosch process for producing ammonia is still typically made using hydrogen sourced from natural gas. Just the process of making ammonia produces nearly 1.8 percent of the world’s total CO₂ emissions.
Substituting grey hydrogen with green hydrogen will produce ammonia free of CO₂, and green ammonia can be used, in addition to being a fertilizer product, as:
- A carbon-neutral fuel for shipping
- A way to transport hydrogen over long distances
- A key raw material for fertilizers that are used to feed a growing population
Industries in ammonia production, like Yara, Adani, Reliance and IFFCO have already made announcements for planned investments in the large-scale production of green ammonia.
3) Refineries and Petrochemicals
In refineries, hydrogen is needed in large quantities for desulphurization and hydrocracking. By switching to green hydrogen, these operations can reduce significantly both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Many refineries (in India, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East) are exploring green hydrogen as a way to integrate hydrogen into their existing operations via co-feeding or a transition period.
4) Electric Power Generation and Energy Storage
Green hydrogen can be utilized:
- as fuel in gas turbines,
- as stored chemical energy to aid integration of renewable energy sources, and
- for long duration grid storage for seasonal delivery of energy or storage for energy in grid systems.
Batteries as well may be the source of electrical storage, but hydrogen fuel cells are also being considered for use as back-up power for data centers, telecom towers, and remote off-grid industrial sites instead of diesel generators.
5) Heavy Mobility and Transportation
Clearly EVs are well-dominated advancements in consumer passenger and light vehicle use, still hydrogen has advantages as a usable energy source:
- Heavy trucks
- Mining vehicles
- Maritime shipping
- Locomotives and
- aviation (future hydrogen and synthetic fuel based aviation).
Fuel cell systems provide better range, refueling time, and less weight than heavy battery packs.
Logistic companies, and public transport systems, including bus and truck, are piloting projects in the European, Japan, and increasingly India, are implementing hydrogen related technology with cargo mobility.
6) Cement and Glass Production
The production of both cement and glass requires extremely high firing temperatures, which can reach 1600°C. It is challenging and costly to reach such temperatures using electricity alone. Green hydrogen can serve as a clean combustion fuel and foster continuous, high-temperature processing.
These companies are designing kilns and burners compatible with hydrogen and have the ultimate aim of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen in thermal intensive industry gradually.
The India Context: A Strategic Opportunity
India is uniquely positioned to become a global hub for green hydrogen because of the following factors:
- Large renewable energy capacity (solar, wind, hybrid)
- Falling renewable energy cost (among the lowest costs in the world)
- Strong industrial base – steel, petrochemicals, fertilizers
- Government support and funding of ₹19,744 crore for the National Green Hydrogen Mission
The National Green Hydrogen Mission is targeting to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen per annum by 2030, focusing on:
- Domestic manufacturing of electrolyzers
- Hydrogen mobility corridors
- Industrial-scale hydrogen and ammonia plants
- Export-oriented hydrogen value chains
India’s major corporate houses such as Reliance, Adani, NTPC, JSW, L&T and Tata are also investing in ascribed hydrogen ecosystems.
Challenges to Confront
Even if green hydrogen has great potential, it will have to overcome several important obstacles including:
- High production cost resulting from expensive electrolyzer technologies and variability in renewable supply
- Need for hydrogen infrastructure; pipelines, storage, refueling stations
- Technological scaling for industrial-sized applications
- Energy input requirements in the electrolysis process still needs work to improve efficiency
Global coordination on R&D of hydrogen, standardization, production scale-up, and policy enablers will be key to overcoming these hurdles.
The Path Forward
Green hydrogen is now taking shape from a potential option to an implemented option. In the upcoming decade, we will observe:
- Cheaper electrolyzers coming about due to the gigawatt-scale production
- Hydrogen-ready industrial furnaces and equipment
- Hydrogen hubs, bringing together production, storage, and supply
- Hydrogen shipments and pipelines.
There will be potential benefits to commercial industries that are early adopters of hydrogen that would include market leadership with sustainability and long-term cost of energy benefits.
Conclusion
It is no longer an environmental ideal, green hydrogen is now about strategic industrial transformation, that can decarbonize the worlds most energy intensive industries in full-scale industrial commercial applications, successfully providing performance and reliability. As countries and industries commit to net-zero approaches, green hydrogen will be considered one of the major cornerstones of a new global energy economy, specifically for manufacturing heavy countries like India.
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