Wind, solar power, and hydropower have proven to be more suitable replacements for fossil fuels. 

But would you have ever guessed that hydrogen could be an alternative?

Last Fall, the Biden Administration announced that seven hubs across the country would start producing about three million metric tons of hydrogen annually. And last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a consortium that would help build demand for this hydrogen. 

Before we dive into the hubs, let’s learn why hydrogen is a strong contender for clean fuel and the benefits and challenges of implementing this system.

How Is Hydrogen Produced?

The two most common methods to produce hydrogen are steam reforming and electrolysis. Steam reforming tends to be the more popular option. Hydrogen gets separated from carbon atoms in methane (CH4). While this process works, steam reforming causes some carbon dioxide emissions. 

On the other hand, electrolysis uses an electric current to split hydrogen from water. This process is known as “power-to-gas” because the current serves as the power, producing the gas, hydrogen. It does not produce any emissions besides hydrogen and oxygen. The electricity required for electrolysis comes from renewables, nuclear materials, or fossil fuels.

Why Hydrogen?

Unlike biofuel or hydropower production, hydrogen fuel cells do not require large areas of land. They also supply more energy than fossil fuels, having the highest energy content for any fuel by weight. This gives hydrogen a greater fuel efficiency - reducing fuel consumption by 50% and nearly doubling electricity efficiency.

However, hydrogen fuel production isn’t perfect. Though hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it does not naturally exist on its own. Extracting hydrogen requires high costs and a significant amount of energy, which can be greater than the energy gained from hydrogen. Furthermore, because hydrogen extraction requires fossil fuels, it cannot fully be considered a green alternative. Other concerns around hydrogen’s flammability and transportation need to be addressed as well. 

Hydrogen Hubs

Hubs refer to a network of organizations and local governments that pledge to work together to produce, transport, and use hydrogen. The seven hydrogen hubs will be spread across 13 states with the hydrogen used for fertilizer production, decarbonizing transportation, and other applications. 

The hubs that are powered by natural gas will use carbon capture technology to reduce emissions (known as blue hydrogen). The California hub plans to produce green hydrogen using renewable energy like wind or solar, while some others will use nuclear energy (pink hydrogen). 

The hydrogen hub initiative is an example of how governments have an important role to play in helping scale new technologies, reduce costs, and drive adoption. This is the largest public investment in the U.S and will help public and private companies usher in a cleaner future. 

Sources: EE News, Atlantic Council, NBC, NY Times