Episode 165 | Clean Colors | UNC CleanTech ’23 (Live)
As we discussed in Episode 162, the Dept. of Energy and American industry are moving headlong into a hydrogen economy, with goals to produce 50 million metric tons (MMT) annually of “clean (i.e. carbon free) hydrogen” by 2050.
Somewhere along the way, someone decided to start assigning colors to the technologies used to make hydrogen. Though all but two release CO2, only one of these gets the designation “Green Hydrogen (electrolysis using renewable energy).”
Still, I wanted to keep the theme as a way to explore how many technologies can be employed to make hydrogen. For this, I hosted a panel at the UNC CleanTech Summit with these panelists:
All three are developing products or projects to create commercial green hydrogen. Black & Veatch has been selected EPC for the ACES Delta project in Utah, which will create hydrogen from renewable energy to fuel combustion turbines. NuScale’s VOYGR plants have the capability of diversifying energy production at a single location. Monolith’s Olive Creek 1 and upcoming Olive Creek 2 expansion will create hydrogen for fertilizer plants and carbon black for tire companies.
“The great thing about Hydrogen, why everyone is so interested in it, is its versatility,” says Jonathan. Not only can hydrogen be produced with the technologies listed above, it can fuel vehicles, fire combustion turbines, and make chemicals.
Chris calls the carbon black and hydrogen “co-products,” emphasizing the value both provide. Luis made it clear that a small modular reactor facility could produce both electricity and heat at a single facility. Nuclear hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis (“pink”), heat (“red”), or both (“purple”).
With many of these technologies now commercial, the question becomes, what is the business case? Natural gas runs turbines, why convert it to hydrogen? Renewable energy can power homes, why electrolyze it and then use it for electricity?
“The point of hydrogen energy storage is not to be a battery,” says Jonathan. “Hydrogen ultimately is a secondary energy resource. It’s an energy carrier.” He points out that energy storage hydrogen could provide on the level of ACES Delta (300 GWh) would outmatch anything lithium ion could provide.
“I believe the first deployments of clean hydrogen will come not so much on the energy sector but in the chemical sector, where there’s a huge demand,” says Chris. Most hydrogen today is used in chemicals, including refining.
The conference was held at a university, which has a younger crowd from what you typically see at shows like these. A few months earlier, I was profiled for a piece previewing the panel.
With a future so rife with possibilities, I was curious what my panelists suggested these future professionals should pursue.
Luis—There are so many areas. You do not want to get boxed in. Focus on renewables, energy, and policy.
Jonathan—Don’t feel like you need to be an expert, be able to see a little bit of everything.
Chris—Get out there and get your hands dirty. See it and touch it.
“Be open, be flexible for things changing,” says Chris. “Hydrogen will have a very clear foothold, but there will be other needs in other areas. But in that first job, pick something that’s really going to get your hands dirty.”
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