Across the globe, countries are developing hydrogen strategies in line with clean energy adoption. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set an ambitious goal for green hydrogen: produce it using renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar farms, and make sure that none of the raw materials comes from fossil fuels or other non-renewable resources. Countries in Europe and Asia have also set targets for their own green hydrogen industries as part of their larger climate change goals. Germany has been using green hydrogen for transportation since 2014, when its first hydrogen fueling station was opened. The country is currently working on making sure that all its cars are powered by electricity or green hydrogen by 2040.
Green hydrogen uses
Hydrogen is a clean fuel, but it can be made from fossil fuels. We’re specifically interested in green hydrogen, which only uses renewable energy in the process. Hydrogen can be used to make electricity, heat and steam, run industrial processes or make fertilizer, all things that are required for life on Earth.
It’s not a new idea, hydrogen has been used as an energy source for more than 200 years with the first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle created in 1966. Since then, cars have used hydrogen fuel cells to power their engines and batteries, although they haven’t gained widespread popularity due to the difficulty of storing large quantities of hydrogen safely and efficiently. One issue with hydrogen is that it is a gas and has low density, making it difficult to store in large amounts at high pressure. Another problem with hydrogen is that it can be dangerous to transport because it’s flammable.
In recent decades, there has been renewed interest in turning water into a clean energy source that can be used to power homes and buildings. Today, many different types of buildings use solar panels or wind turbines to generate electricity from renewable sources such as sunlight or wind power but there can be issues with this depending on location. Hydrogen may provide the reliable clean energy alternative we need. The advantage with using green hydrogen instead is that you can store large amounts at home without running out when bad weather hits unexpectedly.
Green ammonia and Hive Energy
There are many challenges ahead for green hydrogen. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about how green hydrogen can be produced at scale. But if these obstacles can be overcome, we could see an increase in the use of renewable energy that blends seamlessly with our current fuel infrastructure.
Hive has been expanding into the hydrogen and ammonia market in recent years. We now have a 9+ GW pipeline in green hydrogen/ammonia projects across the globe, the vast majority being located across Spain.
We are also utilising hydrogen in green ammonia production. Our flagship project, Coega, is located in South Africa. The project is to develop and construct one of the world’s largest green ammonia plants, which once complete will support the local maritime industry as a fuel supplier.
