THE COLORS OF HYDROGEN
SELECT THE COLOR YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT.
Black or Brown Hydrogen
Black or brown hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced by coal gasification. The black and brown colors sometimes indicate the coal type: bituminous (black) and lignite (brown). This process generates significant CO2 emissions (19 tCO2/tH2).
Blue Hydrogen
Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas by steam gas reforming, paired with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Blue hydrogen has a much lower carbon intensity than grey hydrogen, with estimates ranging from 1 to 4 tCO2/tH2. Although using CCS increases costs, blue hydrogen remains the cheapest “clean” alternative to grey hydrogen.
Green (or Renewable) Hydrogen
Green or renewable hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources like wind and solar through a process known as water electrolysis, where an electrolyzer splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. No CO2 emissions are generated during the production process. Today, green hydrogen costs are significantly more than those of grey hydrogen. It accounts for less than 0.1% of the world’s hydrogen production.
Grey Hydrogen
Grey hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, mainly by steam gas reforming or coal gasification. It generates significant CO2 emissions, between 10 and 19 tons of CO2 per ton of H2 (tCO2/tH2). Over 95% of the world’s hydrogen consumption is grey hydrogen.
Orange Hydrogen
Orange hydrogen refers to emerging processes that produce hydrogen using plastic waste as a feedstock. It may offer a solution to both the clean energy problem and issues surrounding the disposal of plastic waste. Orange hydrogen remains in the early development stages, with various technologies and production processes, including pyrolysis, microwave catalysis, and photo-reforming, under evaluation.
Pink Hydrogen
Pink hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis powered by nuclear power, a clean but non-renewable energy source that does not generate CO2 emissions.
Purple Hydrogen
Purple hydrogen is produced by hydrolysis using nuclear power and heat.
Red Hydrogen
Red hydrogen is produced by the high-temperature catalytic splitting of water using the heat and steam generated from nuclear plants. This process requires much less electricity than traditional electrolysis.
Turquoise Hydrogen
Turquoise hydrogen is hydrogen produced from natural gas under a process known as methane pyrolysis. In this process, natural gas is decomposed into hydrogen and solid carbon at high temperatures. Currently, turquoise hydrogen is still in the early stage of development.
Yellow Hydrogen
Yellow hydrogen refers to green hydrogen produced from solar energy. It does not generate CO2 emissions. Estimates suggest that yellow hydrogen may become the cheapest form of renewable hydrogen in the medium term.
White Hydrogen
White hydrogen, also known as natural hydrogen, is naturally generated within the Earth’s crust through interactions between water molecules and iron-rich minerals at high temperatures and pressures. As water reacts with these minerals, it releases hydrogen gas. There are no strategies to exploit this hydrogen at present.
Low-carbon hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from energy sources of nonrenewable origin with a carbon footprint below a defined threshold, such as blue hydrogen.
Clean hydrogen refers to renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. While hydrogen burns cleanly as fuel at its point of use, hydrogen produced from fossil fuels simply relocates emissions from one site to another.
- In today’s rapidly evolving hydrogen market, operators of refueling stations must navigate a dynamic landscape shaped by advanced carbon capture technologies, which are crucial for reducing emissions and enhancing the sustainability of hydrogen production.
- Biogas is emerging as a promising energy source; however, its effective utilization hinges on overcoming the challenge of contaminants inherent in biogas streams that can impact system performance and safety.
- Concurrently, the demand for well-trained operations and maintenance technicians is intensifying, as continuous, rigorous training becomes essential to managing the complexities of cutting-edge hydrogen systems.
Together, these factors underscore the importance of a proactive, informed approach to hydrogen infrastructure—a necessity for staying competitive in this fluid and transformative market.
Carbon Capture
CCUS stands for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. This process captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants and other industrial facilities. The captured CO2 will then be reused or stored to prevent its release into the atmosphere.
CCUS is critical in reducing oil, gas, and other process emissions. It is also essential for producing blue Hydrogen, as it is the only method to capture and permanently store the carbon emissions generated during natural gas conversion to Hydrogen.
To permanently store the captured carbon, wells are drilled into porous rock formations. Carbon dioxide is subsequently injected into these formations, where it remains trapped by rock layers deep underground indefinitely.
BioGas as an Energy Source
After removing carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, biogas will be compressed like natural gas and is used to power motor vehicles, including heavy-haul trucks and buses.
For example, biogas is estimated to potentially replace around 17% of vehicle fuel in the United Kingdom. It qualifies for renewable energy subsidies in some parts of the world. Biogas will be cleaned and upgraded to natural gas standards when it becomes bio-methane.
Biogas is considered to be a renewable resource because its production-and-use cycle is continuous, and it generates no net carbon dioxide. From a carbon perspective, as much carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere in the growth of the primary bio-resource as is released when the material is ultimately converted to energy.
Biogas contains various contaminants, including hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, siloxanes, ammonia, and halogens. These contaminants will impact the environment and human health.
We need to learn more about California’s standards for monitoring and controlling biogas impurities.
Removal of contaminants
- Activated carbon filters will remove hydrogen sulfide and other impurities from biogas.
- iogas upgrading will remove carbon dioxide to increase biogas’ calorific power and economic value.
- Moisture and hydrophilic compound treatment will remove water-soluble compounds from biogas.
O&M Technician Training
Energy Link is in talks with Taft College to develop an O&M curriculum as one of their Career Technical Education Programs. The Energy Technology Program at Taft provides training and education in technical and professional skills to enable individuals to work in the energy industry. Technicians with the education and training will support and assist engineers, geologists, and operations staff in various career and job types, such as Hydrogen Heavy-Haul Refueling Station Operations and Maintenance. The skills attained will be transferable to other related professions, such as manufacturing, food processing, and renewable/alternative energy.
For more insight into the training issues, read on:
Compare the Real-World Costs of Green, Grey, and Blue H2
- Green Hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using only renewable energy and water, is the cleanest form of Hydrogen available. Currently, in California, the refueling price at the dispenser is $36 per kilogram. This pricing makes Green Hydrogen commercially uncompetitive. The cost of Green Hydrogen will be much better through the planned CA Exchange Program, but it is years away from being commercially viable.
- Grey Hydrogen, on the other hand, is produced by steam reforming of methane and is the most economically viable form of hydrogen production. However, its major drawback is that it releases CO2 into the atmosphere. Grey Hydrogen comes in at a significantly lower cost compared to green Hydrogen.
- Blue Hydrogen is also generated through the steam reforming of methane, but it includes a carbon capture process that removes 80% to 90% of the CO2 emissions.
Examining California’s Hydrogen Strategy
- Centralized Marketplace:
- The platform will serve as a centralized marketplace where producers, distributors, and end-users will trade green Hydrogen.
- It will promote transparent pricing based on real-time supply and demand dynamics, helping to mitigate price volatility.
- Market Stabilization and Incentivization:
- By providing a regulated venue for hydrogen trading, the exchange aims to stabilize market prices, making green Hydrogen a more predictable commodity.
- Stable pricing will encourage further investment in renewable hydrogen production and related infrastructure.
- CA H2 Exchange Program will help stabilize and lower the price of all the colors of H2 by providing the largest central buying quantity possible.
- Integration of Renewable Energy:
- The exchange will facilitate the integration of green Hydrogen with renewable energy sources, aligning with California’s broader sustainability goals.
- This synergy is expected to drive innovations in hydrogen production technologies and supply chain efficiencies.
- Ecosystem Development:
- The platform supports the creation of a comprehensive hydrogen ecosystem by linking various stakeholders-producers, consumers, investors, and regulators-under a unified framework.
- It will help lay the groundwork for long-term development, ensuring the market will expand to meet growing demand while contributing to decarbonization efforts.
Building a sustainable future
One Hydrogen Refueling Station at a Time
