Green vs. Blue Hydrogen : Decarbonization Strategies
Here’s an article posted in PNAS that talks about decarbonisation strategies and the global quest for a low-carbon future.
According to the article,
- Massive Scaling of CCS Needed: There is an urgent requirement to scale up CCS technologies globally to meet ambitious CO2 storage goals set for 2030 and 2050. The target is to store about 1 gigaton of CO2 per year by 2030 and 6 gigatons by 2050.
- Integration with Hydrogen Production: Linking CCS with hydrogen production, particularly using methods like steam methane reforming (SMR) or autothermal reforming (ATR) with carbon capture, provides a dual benefit of reducing CO2 emissions and producing hydrogen, which is crucial for a decarbonized energy system.
- Geological Considerations for Storage: The safest and most practical regions for CO2 storage are suggested to be partially depleted oil and gas reservoirs, which are geologically well-understood and less prone to issues like induced seismicity compared to other options like saline aquifers.
- Economic and Technical Viability: Combining CCS with hydrogen production could be economically viable and technically feasible, especially in regions with existing oil and gas infrastructure. This strategy reduces reliance on government subsidies.
- Global CCS Implementation: While there are already numerous CCS facilities planned or operational worldwide, a significant increase in number and capacity is necessary to meet global storage demands.
- Challenges and Risks: Addressing the scale of implementation, ensuring safety to prevent issues like earthquakes from injection processes, and enhancing economic viability are critical challenges. The text emphasizes the need for thorough site characterization and assessment, especially for saline aquifers.
- Role of Hydrogen: Hydrogen is positioned as a versatile energy carrier in decarbonizing sectors like transport and heavy industry. The growth in hydrogen demand is expected to significantly increase by 2060, necessitating accelerated production, which could be boosted by integrating with CCS.
- Policy and Incentives: Effective policies and financial incentives are crucial to advancing CCS and hydrogen production technologies. The U.S. has made strides with recent legislation, but global efforts and alignment are needed.
Some of the interesting questions we have regarding this stuff:
How can we effectively monitor and ensure the integrity of existing wellbores used for CO2 injection in depleted oil and gas reservoirs to prevent leakage and maintain safety standards over the long term?
What are the specific technological advancements needed to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production through steam methane reforming (SMR) and autothermal reforming (ATR) when combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
Considering the significant infrastructure requirements for large-scale CCS, how can countries, especially those without current oil and gas infrastructure, develop economically viable strategies to implement CCS and hydrogen production systems?
