NAME : FERDI AZIZ

NIM : 1708823089

CLASS : C EPPS 2023

TASK : READING ASSIGNMENT & MAKE SUMMARY - 2

A review on global warming potential, challenges and opportunities of

renewable hydrogen production technologies
From the introduction of Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to the recent United Nations (UN)
Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions have been witnessed in various industrial sectors, especially in the energy
sector with increasing demand for clean energy production [1,2]. Among a range of clean
energy options, renewable hydrogen is gaining increasing attention as a low-carbon energy
carrier [3] which does not emit GHG emissions when used for energy generation [4].
Hydrogen has potential as an energy source to replace current use of natural gas (e.g., heat
supply to industry and replacement of transport fuels) [5] with numerous advantages, such as
flexibility of feedstock selection (e.g., from fossil fuel sources to waste materials) [6],
marginal energy loss during transmission and wide applicability to fuel cells and various
industrial sectors [1,7]. Once hydrogen is compressed to a desired pressure, it can be
distributed through existing natural gas pipelines with minor technological modifications [1].
Currently, hydrogen is demanded from various industrial sectors, including oil refining
(33%), ammonia manufacturing (27%), methanol production (11%) and steel production
(3%), [8] with anticipated demand increase by almost sixfold in 2050, mostly driven by
increasing demand from the steel and ammonia industries (Fig. 1-a and 1-b) [9,10].

Hydrogen can be produced from both renewable and non-renewable sources (see Fig.
2). Nevertheless, global hydrogen production in 2020 almost entirely relied on fossil fuel
sources with only 0.7% was produced from natural gas with carbon capture, utilisation and
storage (CCUS) out of the total production of 90 Mt. (million tonnes) (Fig. 1-b) [11]. Despite
the impressive increase in the low-emission hydrogen production in 2021 (almost 20%
increase compared to 2020, including hydrogen from natural gas with CCUS and water
electrolysis), it still comprised a mere fraction of total production, with only 1 Mt. of low-
emission production out of 94 Mt. of global hydrogen production in 2021, while natural gas
remained as the major source of hydrogen production, which resulted in 630 Mt. of direct
CO2 emissions (7% of emissions from industrial sectors) from the fossil-based hydrogen
production in 2021 [12]. In order to minimise the emissions from hydrogen production,
replacing natural gas with renewable sources is essential [13]. Various low-emission
hydrogen production technologies are available, including forementioned water electrolysis,
biomass gasification and fossil-based production with CCUS [11], which have been discussed
in several countries as future energy options. For instance, Japan has announced their plans to
produce hydrogen using only renewable electricity, while US intends to increase hydrogen
production from biomass gasification [14]. As of 2018, around 70 ongoing projects, mostly in
Germany, have been identified as renewable-sourced hydrogen production [15]. However,
these low-emission technologies only share about 1% of the current global hydrogen
production [12].
One possible reason that hinders expansion of the low-emission hydrogen could be high
production cost. Levelised production cost of natural gas-based hydrogen ranges between
US$ 0.5/kg H2 to $ 1.7/ kg H2, which could be doubled (up to 4 times) when CCUS is applied
 [11]. Although the cost of water electrolysis is greatly affected by the cost of electricity [16],
the average production cost of renewable water electrolysis is currently about 6–16 times
higher than natural gas-based hydrogen [11], with the potential cost reductions to US$ 1.3–
2.4/ kg H2 for solar-powered electrolysis and US$ 1.1–2.5 /kg H2 for wind-powered
electrolysis in 2030 [17]. Another challenge of low-emission hydrogen is lack of
infrastructure for stable supply and transmission of the hydrogen [10]. This could be of
particular problem where large- scale and long-distance hydrogen transmission is necessary.
A study by [18] addressed this issue for China where renewable sources available for
hydrogen production and gas supply networks are unevenly distributed. The study
concluded that utilising existing natural gas pipelines for inter-province transmission of
renewable hydrogen would be optimal, while the use of combined natural gas pipelines and
dedicated hydrogen pipelines could only be feasible when unit transmission cost is reduced to
a certain degree. Storage of hydrogen is also considered as challenging. Liquified hydrogen
requires less storage volume than gaseous hydrogen but energy loss and energy consumption
during the liquefying processes are disadvantageous. Storage of gaseous hydrogen, on the
other hands, requires specifically- designed storage tanks that can withstand high pressure,
but materials suitable for the tanks and infrastructure for transporting the hydrogen still seek
for technological and economic advancement [19].
The renewable electricity-operated production system is also referred to as green
hydrogen, while hydrogen from natural gas with CCUS is referred as blue hydrogen with
methane pyrolysis is also included in the blue hydrogen in some studies [20]. Methane
pyrolysis (also known as methane decomposition or methane cracking), one of the emerging
technologies according to the recent report by IEA [11] is another fossil-based production but
it does not create any direct CO2 emissions, instead it enables carbon sequestration by
producing solid carbon as a by-product.

ANSWER

SUMMARY ON THIS ARTICLE :

This review discusses the challenges and opportunities of renewable hydrogen production
technologies, highlighting its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The production
cost of renewable hydrogen is currently high compared to natural gas-based hydrogen, and
there is a lack of infrastructure for its supply and transmission. Storage of hydrogen is also
challenging.

The main challenges associated with renewable hydrogen production technologies include:

1. High production cost: The levelised production cost of natural gas-based hydrogen is
relatively low compared to renewable hydrogen. The average production cost of renewable
water electrolysis is currently about 6-16 times higher than natural gas-based hydrogen. This
cost disparity hinders the expansion of low-emission hydrogen production.

2. Lack of infrastructure: There is a lack of infrastructure for the stable supply and
transmission of hydrogen. This becomes particularly challenging for large-scale and long-
distance hydrogen transmission. The existing natural gas pipelines can be utilized for inter-
province transmission of renewable hydrogen, but dedicated hydrogen pipelines are needed to
fully optimize the transmission.

3. Uneven distribution of renewable sources and gas supply networks: The availability of
renewable sources for hydrogen production and gas supply networks is unevenly distributed.
This poses a challenge in ensuring a stable and reliable supply of renewable hydrogen.
Utilizing existing natural gas pipelines for inter-province transmission of renewable hydrogen
is considered optimal, but it may require a combination of natural gas pipelines and dedicated
hydrogen pipelines in certain cases.

4. Storage: Storage of hydrogen is also a challenge. Liquified hydrogen requires less storage
volume than gaseous hydrogen but involves energy loss and energy consumption during the
liquefying processes. Gaseous hydrogen requires specifically-designed storage tanks that can
withstand high pressure, but the materials and infrastructure for transporting hydrogen still
require technological and economic advancement.

Overall, addressing these challenges is crucial for the widespread adoption and utilization of
renewable hydrogen production technologies.

The production cost of renewable hydrogen is significantly higher compared to natural gas-
based hydrogen. The average production cost of renewable water electrolysis is currently
about 6-16 times higher than natural gas-based hydrogen. This cost disparity poses a
challenge for the widespread adoption and utilization of renewable hydrogen production
technologies.

One possible reason that hinders expansion of the low - emission hydrogen could be high
prod uction cost. Levelised production cost of natural gas - based hydrogen ranges between
US$ 0.5/kg H 2 to $ 1.7/ kg H 2 , which could be doubled (up to 4 times) when CCUS is
applied [11]. Although the cost of water electrolysis is greatly affected by the cost of
electricity [16], the average production cost of renewable water electrolysis is currently
about 6 – 16 times higher than natural gas - based hydrogen [11], with the potential cost
reductions to US$ 1.3 – 2.4/ kg H 2 for solar - powered electrolysis and US$ 1.1 – 2.5 /kg
H 2 for wind - powered electrolysis in 2030.

The lack of infrastructure for the supply and transmission of renewable hydrogen has several
implications:

1. Limited availability: Without a robust infrastructure, the availability of renewable

hydrogen is limited. This hinders the widespread adoption and utilization of renewable
hydrogen as an energy carrier.

2. Uneven distribution: The uneven distribution of renewable sources for hydrogen

production and gas supply networks exacerbates the challenge of infrastructure. Some regions
may have abundant renewable resources, while others may have limited access. This can lead
to disparities in the availability and affordability of renewable hydrogen.

3. Reliance on fossil fuels: The lack of infrastructure for renewable hydrogen transmission
may result in continued reliance on fossil fuels for energy production. This undermines
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy.

4. High costs: The absence of dedicated infrastructure for renewable hydrogen transmission
may increase the costs associated with transporting and distributing hydrogen. This can make
renewable hydrogen less economically competitive compared to other energy sources.

5. Limited scalability: The lack of infrastructure can limit the scalability of renewable
hydrogen production. Without a reliable and efficient transmission network, it becomes
challenging to expand the production and use of renewable hydrogen on a large scale.
Addressing these infrastructure challenges is crucial for the successful integration of
renewable hydrogen into the energy system and achieving decarbonization goals.

The conclusion of the article is that the production cost of renewable hydrogen is currently
significantly higher compared to natural gas-based hydrogen. The average production cost of
renewable water electrolysis is about 6-16 times higher than natural gas-based hydrogen. This
cost disparity, along with the lack of infrastructure for the supply and transmission of
renewable hydrogen, poses challenges for the widespread adoption and utilization of
renewable hydrogen production technologies.