Hyped-up hydrogen fuel still needs natural gas sources
The benefits of hydrogen for generating power from fuel cells are well-documented, whether for vehicles or commercial electricity production. Hydrogen combines with atmospheric oxygen in an oxidation/reduction reaction to produce electricity, with water and heat as the only byproducts. This avoids waste products like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. However, many folks may not have a clear understanding of the sources of hydrogen.
Hydrogen, the most abundant of all elements, makes up more than 90% of all atoms. Hydrogen is almost always atomically bound to something else, and to separate an appreciable volume of hydrogen gas, these bonds must be severed. There is plenty of hydrogen around, but not in a usable form.
Hydrogen contains no stored energy like wood, coal, oil, or uranium. Thus, it is not considered an energy source; rather, it is an energy carrier, like electricity. Also like electricity, hydrogen requires a great deal of infrastructure to produce in commercial quantities, is difficult to store, and suffers from losses and added costs when transported. When converting energy from a source (e.g., oil, natural gas, coal) to an energy carrier, inefficiencies occur.
The efficiencies involved in the production of electricity vary dramatically, from a low of about 30% to a high of about 90%, with the midpoint being about 40%. Predicting what efficiency levels will be in the ensuing years, when hydrogen presumably would become a more widespread energy carrier, is a subject of great debate. Fuel cell technology is an integral part of clean energy solutions.
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Currently, the global hydrogen industry is a large and rapidly growing industry. Worldwide, about one-fifth as much volume of hydrogen is produced as there is natural gas produced each year. About 48% is derived from natural gas, 30% from oil, and 18% from coal. Only 4% comes from dissociating water with electricity. Generating hydrogen from electricity makes no sense from an environmental or economic perspective. Hydrogen and electricity are both energy carriers, both cost about the same to transport and once in the grid, electricity is a “clean” energy source. It doesn’t make sense to use one “clean” energy source to generate another “clean” energy source.
If we use hydrogen to generate power from fuel cells, where would all this hydrogen come from? The best source of hydrogen is methane, which, of course, comes from natural gas. Natural gas is widely viewed as the easiest fuel from which to derive hydrogen.
Obviously, if hydrogen were used for transportation, demand for natural gas would increase. Fortunately, our nation has abundant reserves of natural gas to meet this demand. And, the American oil and natural gas industry has the capital and know-how essential for converting these reserves of natural gas into supplies for consumers.
So what does this mean for oil and natural gas producers? In a hydrocarbon-based energy system like the one we have, the only way to generate hydrogen is to produce more hydrocarbons. The nuclear alternative has its own problems because if hydrogen is generated by high temperature, it must be done at the nuclear plant and transported. If it is done using electrolysis, after the electricity is transported, then efficiency becomes the problem that needs improvement.
The only thing that makes any sense, if hydrogen is the desired fuel for vehicles, is to provide the natural gas feedstock for all the hydrogen that we are going to need. Demand for natural gas would increase. This, in turn, would encourage exploration and development activities for more natural gas.
In short, let’s drill some hydrogen feedstock wells and supply the market with the fuel for which they so vehemently clamor.
Edward Cross is president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Hydrogen fuel isn't silver bullet solution
