{"id":11562,"date":"2023-09-21T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/?p=11562"},"modified":"2024-02-26T11:29:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T16:29:48","slug":"green-hydrogen-vs-fossil-fuels-comparing-the-future-of-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/green-hydrogen-vs-fossil-fuels-comparing-the-future-of-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Hydrogen vs Fossil Fuels: Comparing the Future of Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Author: Luke Wentlent, Ph.D., Principal R&D Engineer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is not a new one. Although fossil fuels built the world we know today, we now realize that they are also the element that could eventually take that world apart. You can see it in the searing heat of Phoenix, Arizona and the wildfires in Hawaii, Greece, and California. The arctic ice pack is melting. The planet\u2019s temperature is rising. The first hurricane in more than 80 years just hit California. Climate change is real, and you can look to fossil fuels as its primary driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But do not lose hope! It\u2019s time to act. While we all need to try to reduce our carbon footprint, the responsibly lies heavily on municipalities and corporations. The world is still largely fossil fuel dependent, and it will take great effort to move past them and build a new world. In this post, we\u2019ll look at the two energy sources and where they stand today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Green Hydrogen?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Green hydrogen is made using renewable energy, without greenhouse gas emissions. There are two technologies currently in use to produce green hydrogen at scale, alkaline water (ALK) electrolysis and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. PEM electrolyzers are more expensive, but more efficient than ALK electrolyzers which have been in use longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, green hydrogen is produced using electrolyzers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can be used, while the oxygen is vented harmlessly into the atmosphere. There is a significant opportunity to replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen. Hydrogen has the potential to decarbonize challenging industries such as steel production, last-mile delivery fleets, and aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many companies, the driving reason for developing green hydrogen is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Governments are increasingly putting incentives in places to make the switch. Public opinion also looks favorably on companies who act responsibly ahead jackpot party casino slots of legislation which is likely to be next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Fossil Fuels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fossil fuels are the fossilized remains of plants and animals that walked planet earth millions of years ago. Coal, oil, and natural gas are all fossil fuels. Because carbon is one of the major building blocks of life, these energy sources \u2013 when burned \u2013 are a primary source of carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, for most of the 20th<\/sup> century, fossil fuels drove industry and created great wealth for the great nations of the world. Without free use of fossil fuels, the power and wealth of the world\u2019s economies would be unthinkable. But our success comes at a cost for the earth itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emissions are only part of the damage that burning fossil fuels does to the planet. Drilling, mining, and fracking for fossil fuels takes a tremendous toll on landscapes and ecosystems. In the quest for fossil fuels, entire forests are wiped out, mountaintops are removed, and groundwater is poisoned. In the long term \u2013 and increasingly in the present \u2013 fossil fuels are untenable if human life is to persist on the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing Green Hydrogen and Fossil Fuels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fundamentally, hydrogen and fossil fuels are both energy carriers.   To make use of that energy, we need to extract that energy from its carrier. For fossil fuels this typically means combusting the fuel with air in various types of engines or turbines. Hydrogen is more flexible. Energy can be extracted by either combustion or with a electrochemical means. To call either one \u201cbetter,\u201d we must define the context of what \u201cbetter\u201d means. That can be with respect to energy efficiency, GHG abatement, or cost, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fossil Fuels vs. Green Hydrogen: Energy Efficiency<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Energy efficiency refers to the ultimate efficiency of the energy extraction process. How much of the energy stored in the carrier is used?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know about fossil fuels. It is no exaggeration to say that they are a core pillar of our society. Fossil fuels powered the twentieth century and are still \u2013nearly a quarter of a century in the twenty-first\u2013 our primary source for power generation today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given that there are a wide variety of ways in which combustion technologies are deployed, their ultimate energy efficiency will vary widely.\u00a0 Internal combustion engines have efficiencies between 20 and 40%, see figure below. Combined cycle gas turbines that run at power plants can be higher, into the 40% to mid-50% efficiency range.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Typical
(Source: <\/em>Green Car Hydrogen<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Combined jackpot party casino game heat and power plants are highly efficient combustion schemes where the excess heat generated is captured and employed, driving the efficiency up into the 65%-85% range. This is depicted in the chart below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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(Source: Environmental Protection Agency, <\/em>CHP Benefits<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Combusting hydrogen achieves relatively similar efficiencies to fossil fuels. Hydrogen does have some combustion characteristics that afford it a more flexible operation than gasoline or natural gas; however, the ranges stated would be reasonable for a hydrogen combustion scheme in those applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydrogen can also be deployed in a fuel cell. These electrochemical devices which combine hydrogen gas with oxygen to produce a current can operate with efficiencies in the 50% – low-60% range, significantly better than most combustion technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many fuel cell technologies (I.e., alkaline, PEM, molten carbonate). PEM, alkaline, and solid oxide achieve the best efficiencies, all of which are generally around 60%. Below are the DOE targets for fuel cell efficiency in light duty vehicles (LDV) and heavy-duty vehicles (HDV) in 2030 and 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n

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(Source: US Department of Energy, Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Fossil Fuels vs. Hydrogen: Environmental Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another critical aspect to understand when discussing fossil fuels and hydrogen technologies is the environmental impact. This can mean many different things and be assessed in numerous ways. Let\u2019s look at greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and particulate matter (PM). According to the EPA, in 2021 fossil fuel combustion accounted for 73% of total GHG emissions and about 92% of total manmade CO2<\/sub> emissions in the United States.\u00a0 We can point to numerous studies that show a clear, causal link between the increase in man-made GHG emissions and global warming.<\/p>\n\n\n

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(Source: US Energy Information Association, Energy and the Environment Explained)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The byproducts of combustion of fossil fuel depend, to a degree, upon the specific fuel and how it is burned. Typical byproducts include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n