Turqoise
More controversially, Germany’s natural gas lobby is investigating ways of creating ‘turquoise hydrogen’ by creating production plants to turn natural gas into hydrogen fuel. It would use a process known as methane pyrolysis turning methane in natural gas to create hydrogen gas within a vacuum, together with solid carbon that could be used by tyre and pigment manufacturers. The concept of turquoise hydrogen – a technique still in its infancy – has been criticised by environment groups since it uses a fossil fuel.
It is not just production methods that are attracting attention. Associated opportunities are also under investigation for example CPH2, an electrolyser manufacturer has developed a sustainable IP-protected membrane free electrolyser that does not require any use of platinum metal. Instead, the company’s innovative system utilises cryogenic separation to remove excess moisture from mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen gases. As a result, heat and cold gas energy can be recovered that can then be used by other industries such as cement and glass production.
Hydrogen production and hydrogen-based enterprises have become big business attracting major investment. Last year, the US Department of Energy announced funding totalling $52.5m for hydrogen acceleration projects. Within the EU, €470 billion is being invested in the development of hydrogen technology which will create around 1m jobs. In the UK, the government’s hydrogen strategy now aims to provide up to one third of all the UK’s energy requirements by 2050, with projects worth approximately £13 billion.
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Investment
Most recently, India and Egypt have announced plans for an $8 billion investment created a green hydrogen plant capable of producing 220,000 tonnes annually within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The first phase of the project will use a 150 megawatt electrolysis system to produce 20,000 tonnes of green hydrogen each year via 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia. The second phase will allow the systems to be increased to produce over 220,000 tonnes of hydrogen. The resultant energy will be transmitted through the national grid run by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. Announcing the plans, the Egyptian minister of Electricity & Renewable Energy stated “Egypt has an abundance of wind and solar energy resources through which it can generate renewable energy to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia. Egypt is a promising market that would become a global powerhouse in the green energy value chain.”