Thanks Jane! Of course you are right about electricity as by far the best choice for home and business space heating. I will write a companion piece on hydrogen uses and the development of the NW Hydrogen Hub focusing on Green Hydrogen.
Hi John, When you said "it would offer a plausible way to reduce global warming impacts during the transition to a green energy economy no longer dependent on fossil fuels" I wish you had quantified that. Even assuming green, not turquoise, hydrogen and assuming a theoretical zero carbon intensity for that green hydrogen,
the Maximum greenhouse gas reduction for a 20% by volume* blending of "0 carbon" hydrogen into pipelines would be 7%.
i.e. 93% of the emissions are unchanged. That is in no way in keeping with the emissions reductions needed in just the next 6 years to avoid catastrophic warming.
Additionally, basic efficiency upgrades in people's homes could be both more cost effective and more impactful in reducing emissions, and in fact be synergistic with electrification (which you agree is the better choice) rather than entrench the current dangerous combustion fuel system.
If anyone's still reading: please consider the health effects of burning hydrogen: its combustion creates NOx at similar levels to burning methane, and therefore with the similar indoor air quality and asthma risk.
*a level which even the Federal DOE considers dangerous in terms of pipeline durability and safety.
The reason for the differential between the volume of the theoretical 0 carbon hydrogen added and the emissions reduction is because at the same pressure a given volume of hydrogen produces only about 1/3 of the energy as the same volume of methane would and you need to use more gas for a given purpose.
Great report and perhaps NWN will be successful. This would be good for uses that require intense energy but not for buildings and houses. Most buildings and all homes can operate efficiently with clean renewable electric energy (hydro, solar, wind). Hydrogen in existing pipelines presents a problem with leaks due to the size of the H2 molecule. NWN needs a new box to think outside of.
Thanks Jane! Of course you are right about electricity as by far the best choice for home and business space heating. I will write a companion piece on hydrogen uses and the development of the NW Hydrogen Hub focusing on Green Hydrogen.
Hi John, When you said "it would offer a plausible way to reduce global warming impacts during the transition to a green energy economy no longer dependent on fossil fuels" I wish you had quantified that. Even assuming green, not turquoise, hydrogen and assuming a theoretical zero carbon intensity for that green hydrogen,
the Maximum greenhouse gas reduction for a 20% by volume* blending of "0 carbon" hydrogen into pipelines would be 7%.
i.e. 93% of the emissions are unchanged. That is in no way in keeping with the emissions reductions needed in just the next 6 years to avoid catastrophic warming.
Additionally, basic efficiency upgrades in people's homes could be both more cost effective and more impactful in reducing emissions, and in fact be synergistic with electrification (which you agree is the better choice) rather than entrench the current dangerous combustion fuel system.
If anyone's still reading: please consider the health effects of burning hydrogen: its combustion creates NOx at similar levels to burning methane, and therefore with the similar indoor air quality and asthma risk.
*a level which even the Federal DOE considers dangerous in terms of pipeline durability and safety.
The reason for the differential between the volume of the theoretical 0 carbon hydrogen added and the emissions reduction is because at the same pressure a given volume of hydrogen produces only about 1/3 of the energy as the same volume of methane would and you need to use more gas for a given purpose.
Good analysis, John. Turquoise hydrogen production would seem to make more sense at plants closer to the feedstock.
Great report and perhaps NWN will be successful. This would be good for uses that require intense energy but not for buildings and houses. Most buildings and all homes can operate efficiently with clean renewable electric energy (hydro, solar, wind). Hydrogen in existing pipelines presents a problem with leaks due to the size of the H2 molecule. NWN needs a new box to think outside of.