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Did you know there is a difference between types of hydrogen based on where it came from? Scientists label them by color, which denotes their origin. Hydrogen can come from many places, and some are more contentious than others if you’re an environmentalist. Green hydrogen is the most sought-after, as it’s the most eco-friendly and sustainable for the long term.
So, why aren’t people talking about it more? Perhaps it’s because other colors are getting in the way of its bright future.
Here is a breakdown of all the hydrogen colors, starting with green hydrogen to contextualize the number of sources available.
You produce green hydrogen through water electrolysis. This is when machines separate the oxygen and hydrogen that make up water, capturing the hydrogen as a result. Electrolyzers produce no direct emissions, especially when they can be powered by renewable energy sources. It is the most desirable, sustainable option.
This is one of the most common hydrogen sources, the hydrogen is a byproduct of natural gas production. Experts capture it through a process called steam methane reforming (SMR). Though it makes natural gas companies look good that they are capturing hydrogen and making clean energy, it should never convince consumers that natural gas is an ethical energy source. This form of hydrogen creation releases a lot of carbon dioxide through natural gas, harming the planet and exacerbating climate change.
This is another type of hydrogen sourced from SMR. The difference is natural gas companies combine this with carbon capture and storage (CCS). It strives to have lower carbon footprints than gray hydrogen by grabbing nearly 100% of carbon before it releases into the atmosphere, but it’s still unsustainable because it relies on fossil fuels to manifest.
Brown and black hydrogen comes from their respective colors of coal, which is arguably one of the least eco-friendly sources. Coal goes through a process called gasification, which releases hydrogen as a byproduct.
You get turquoise hydrogen from methane pyrolysis, which operates similarly to green hydrogen. The result is solid carbon, which could be reusable, and gaseous hydrogen. This could also be a promising alternative, as it removes methane from the environment. However, not all methane pyrolysis operations use renewable energy to power the breakdown process, and it is highly energy-intensive.
Pink and red hydrogen are like green hydrogen in that they come from electrolysis. However, it comes from nuclear electrolyzers instead of water-based variants. This is another promising option, as nuclear energy is one of the most efficient, productive, and low-emissions avenues on the market — especially as an intermediary between true renewables and fossil fuels.
Yellow hydrogen is one of the most controversial, because it uses a mixture of renewable and nonrenewable resources for electrolysis. This could be an intermediary between toxic hydrogen creation, like gray and black, as people transition to more eco-friendly forms like pink and green.
If people source hydrogen in the most sustainable way, how are professionals using it in industry applications? If people invest more in green hydrogen technologies, these are the most viable possibilities for it to reach commercial success and become a mainstay in energy production.
Hydrogen-based fuel cells are one of the promising opportunities for green hydrogen, especially for public transportation. It offers a solution to many of electric vehicles (EVs) problems by creating a more streamlined, sustainable fuel source.
Instead of lithium-ion batteries, you could have a hydrogen fuel cell. All you need is water. However, EVs are already struggling to develop charging infrastructure, and hydrogen would run into just as many, if not more, problems with expansion.
Steel production and chemical manufacturing have a lot to gain from using green hydrogen. Iron ore reduction is a great example, because operators could use green hydrogen instead of conventional methods. Factories could also embed fuel cells throughout their operations to power machinery and electrify their fleets.
Natural disasters and emergency response require new technologies to increase resilience. Green hydrogen could power external battery storage to deliver electricity to people when they need it most. It could also help during unprecedented temperature spikes or drops.
If peak usage changes and the main utility provider cannot handle the demand, hydrogen-based reserves can mend the gap. It would also help the grid as nations worldwide make them more robust and able to handle more, modern technologies.
These are the most likely advantages green hydrogen will bring the planet if it reaches the audience that generators like solar and wind have.
Electrolysis produces no emissions unlike many other power generators. It is also incredibly efficient and infinitely available. This allows greenhouse gas reduction methods to have a greater impact because energy generation would not add to the problem.
Sectors like industry and construction use a lot of energy and greenhouse gas-heavy materials. If they require these materials to keep going, then how will they ever reduce their carbon footprint? Green hydrogen could be the answer for hard-to-abate sectors because of how diverse its applications are.
How many uses does green hydrogen actually have? Here is a non-exhaustive list of the many sectors it could help:
The goal is to only use green hydrogen because it is the most sustainable. It is currently cost-prohibitive and still undergoing significant research and development. However, it is one of the most promising glimmers of hope for a carbon-friendly future for humanity. Once its benefits become more publicized and prices for the technology go down — much like it did with solar — then the planet will enter a green hydrogen revolution.
