Hydrogen to play a major role in achieving net-zero emissions; crucial for transition to low-carbon industries.
Here’s a report seen in a document on the site of Hydrogen Council that explains how Hydrogen can cool hot industry emissions.
According to the report,
- Industrial heating pollutes with coal/gas, especially high-temperature processes.
- Hydrogen offers clean alternatives for high-grade heat (400+°C) like cement, glass, aluminium.
- Potential demand by 2050: 70 million tons – mainly high-grade heating.
- Hydrogen can be produced from renewables or with carbon capture and storage.
- Challenges: production volume, infrastructure upgrade, current cost.
- Opportunities: creating a clean industrial revolution, reducing emissions.
So why does hydrogen play such a vital role in the net-zero goals of 2050?
Hydrogen has significant potential to help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but it is not yet ready for widespread adoption. The key points are:
Our specialty focus areas include 
- Hydrogen could contribute over 20% of the annual global emissions reductions needed to reach net-zero by 2050. It can help decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors like steel, chemicals, heavy transport, and aviation.
- However, the majority of current hydrogen production comes from fossil fuels, resulting in high greenhouse gas emissions. Only around 4% of global hydrogen is produced via electrolysis using renewable electricity.
- “Green” hydrogen produced from renewable electricity via electrolysis is the cleanest form, with near-zero emissions. But it is currently more expensive than “grey” or “blue” hydrogen from fossil fuels.
- Significant scale-up of renewable electricity, electrolysis capacity, and carbon capture infrastructure is needed to make clean hydrogen cost-competitive and widely available.
- Hydrogen can be converted into other clean energy carriers like ammonia and synthetic fuels, which have higher energy density and are easier to transport and store long-term.
Overall, hydrogen has great potential but requires major investments and policy support over the next decade to become a pivotal player in the transition to net-zero emissions.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
Global Hydrogen Production Market Growth: The global hydrogen production market was valued at $130 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a rate of 9.2% per year, reaching a value of $2.81 trillion by 2030.
