Could Sinking Oil Prices Open Door For ‘Green’ Hydrogen?

01 Jun, 2020

A hydrogen vehicle fueling station is photographed at the Moblie station on West A Street and Arbor Avenue on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, in Hayward, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) (Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)

The lightest, most abundant element on Earth emits zero emissions and is lauded by some environmentalists who wish it would replace gasoline in the transportation sector.

Hydrogen is already used by NASA for rocket fuel. And advocates dream it could also take off as an alternative fuel for power generation and industrial processes, replacing coal and natural gas in the country’s power plants.

Some see the current bleak oil market as an opportunity for “green” hydrogen derived from water and renewable electricity rather than natural gas.

Storage, or lack thereof, has been one of biggest technical hurdles for renewable energy expansion. But hydrogen can be compressed or liquefied for all applications, including storage.

GE Power has had a turbine that could run on some hydrogen. Others, including Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, and Siemens Energy, are leading in the space. Meanwhile, Norwegian energy giant Equinor has paired up with Ansaldo on a turbine that runs on 100% hydrogen.

Source: Forbes

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