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Hydrogen energy is a promising clean, efficient, and renewable secondary energy source that possesses several unique advantages, such as widespread availability, high calorific value, high energy density, ease of storage, renewability, and zero carbon emissions. These advantages make hydrogen a vital component of the developing hydrogen economy in the process of global energy transition to a low-carbon and sustainable energy system (International Energy Agency [IEA], 2023).
Hydrogen technologies encompass the entire value chain, from production and storage to transportation and applications. Among them, green-hydrogen production, i.e., hydrogen produced via water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, is receiving increasing attention. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, leading to low/zero carbon emissions. As the cost of renewable electricity drops, water electrolysis will be increasingly feasible for large-scale, clean hydrogen production (IRENA, 2022).
Hydrogen can be widely applied in several sectors, including transportation, electricity generation, energy storage, and industry. In particular, transportation hydrogen energy is utilized in H2 fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), which produce zero tailpipe emissions and provide better range and shorter refueling times than battery electric vehicles in many use cases. Additionally, it is well suited for heavy-duty, long-haul, and commercial applications (IEA, 2023).
Furthermore, hydrogen can be used for electricity generation. For example, hydrogen is a flexible energy carrier that can support grid balancing and long-duration energy storage. When paired with intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind, hydrogen can help bolster grid resilience and reliability (U.S. Department of Energy [DOE], 2023). Moreover, hydrogen can also be utilized in the industry. For example, in hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking, ammonia production, and refining, hydrogen can act as a clean reducing agent or heat source. In this case, hydrogen use can substantially lower emissions in fossil fuel-dependent processes (BloombergNEF, 2024).
By: Teh Yu Jun
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