Clean hydrogen production credits are accelerated, expiring for facilities beginning construction after 2025.
Hydrogen Reality Check: All “Clean Hydrogen” Is Not Equally Clean
The Reality: Every form of hydrogen production has different emissions risks. Producing hydrogen from renewable electricity is the most straightforward way to ensure emissions are near zero, but all methods of production will require additional regulations to meet the mark. Supply chains must be strictly managed with a cradle-to-gate view on emissions to maximize hydrogen’s climate benefits.
The term “clean hydrogen” has no universally accepted definition. It has become a catchall term for nearly all low-carbon production pathways for hydrogen, but the term gets tossed around without any real clarity as to what “clean” means.
Broadly, “clean” hydrogen refers to any hydrogen produced with lower emissions than the incumbent fossil fuel-based methods. While there are many clean hydrogen production pathways often categorized by “colors,” we will use the two most common types to exemplify the main considerations:
Green hydrogen: Hydrogen produced by splitting water molecules through electrolysis using renewable energy sources
Blue hydrogen: Hydrogen produced from a natural gas feedstock with capture of the by-product carbon dioxide.
Both green and blue hydrogen are getting attention today for their carbon reduction benefits, but these pathways are not created equal. Furthermore, a simple color coding is insufficient to clarify the emissions of each production path. Depending on differences in the supply chain and technology performance, two supplies of hydrogen with the same “color” can have widely different carbon footprints, as seen in Exhibit 1. Understanding these differences requires visibility into the carbon intensity of the supply chain.
Clean hydrogen production credits are accelerated, expiring for facilities beginning construction after 2025.
Hydrogen Reality Check: All “Clean Hydrogen” Is Not Equally Clean
The Reality: Every form of hydrogen production has different emissions risks. Producing hydrogen from renewable electricity is the most straightforward way to ensure emissions are near zero, but all methods of production will require additional regulations to meet the mark. Supply chains must be strictly managed with a cradle-to-gate view on emissions to maximize hydrogen’s climate benefits.
The term “clean hydrogen” has no universally accepted definition. It has become a catchall term for nearly all low-carbon production pathways for hydrogen, but the term gets tossed around without any real clarity as to what “clean” means.
Broadly, “clean” hydrogen refers to any hydrogen produced with lower emissions than the incumbent fossil fuel-based methods. While there are many clean hydrogen production pathways often categorized by “colors,” we will use the two most common types to exemplify the main considerations:
Green hydrogen: Hydrogen produced by splitting water molecules through electrolysis using renewable energy sources
Blue hydrogen: Hydrogen produced from a natural gas feedstock with capture of the by-product carbon dioxide.
Both green and blue hydrogen are getting attention today for their carbon reduction benefits, but these pathways are not created equal. Furthermore, a simple color coding is insufficient to clarify the emissions of each production path. Depending on differences in the supply chain and technology performance, two supplies of hydrogen with the same “color” can have widely different carbon footprints, as seen in Exhibit 1. Understanding these differences requires visibility into the carbon intensity of the supply chain.
https://rmi.org/all-clean-hydrogen-is-not-equally-clean/
Remember the Romanovs.