Hydrogen fuel produced with renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, is called “green hydrogen.” Unlike traditional hydrogen, often derived from fossil fuels like natural gas, green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, where water is divided into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity.
This positions green hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source, particularly for industries and sectors where direct electricity consumption is impractical, such as shipping, aviation, and heavy industry.
How Is Green Hydrogen Different From Other Types?
They come in various forms depending on their mode of production:
- Grey hydrogen: Derived from fossil fuels, especially natural gas. It has CO₂ emissions.
- Blue hydrogen: Blue hydrogen is also made from fossil fuels but traps emissions through carbon capture and storage technology (CCS).
- Green hydrogen: Produced with only renewable electricity with no emissions.
Green hydrogen is the only one that is fully renewable and carbon-free.
What are some real-world examples of clean hydrogen projects?
Clean hydrogen initiatives are being initiated across the globe to capture carbon emissions and facilitate the shift to clean energy. A few of them are:
- NEOM Green Hydrogen Project (Saudi Arabia): Also considered among the world’s most significant renewable hydrogen projects, fueled solely by wind and solar power. It is expected to ship green ammonia globally as early as 2026.
- China’s Inner Mongolia Projects: China is also constructing several large-scale clean hydrogen plants in regions like Inner Mongolia, powered by wind and solar power. One of the key projects in Ordos will be manufacturing over 30,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, placing China among the global leaders in this field.
- HyDeploy (United Kingdom): A groundbreaking initiative to integrate renewable hydrogen into the natural gas network, aiming to reduce domestic heating emissions without necessitating infrastructure modifications.
- Asian Renewable Energy Hub (Australia): A large-scale Western Australia wind and solar energy project aims to produce clean hydrogen and ammonia for export to Asia.
- Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (Japan–Australia): An initiative to export carbon-free hydrogen and eventually switch to green hydrogen completely between the two countries.
- H2Haul (Europe): The initiative employs clean hydrogen-fueled electric trucks through logistics networks in several European countries.
These initiatives underscore how countries across different continents are experimenting and investing in clean hydrogen as a future energy solution.
Which Countries Are Investing in Zero-Emission Hydrogen?
- China
- Germany
- Australia
- Japan
- India
- United States
- Saudi Arabia
Posted by Abu Talha
With a background in science at the A-level, Abu Talha has studied subjects including physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology. Along with his more than 1.5 years of experience in digital marketing, he is passionate about writing about electric vehicles, sustainable energy, and how emerging technologies are influencing the future.
