FEATURE
DOWN
THE
EMISSIONS
TOOLS ISSUE
COMING
UP FOR AIR
IN THE BATTLE FOR CLEAN ENERGY
PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA, ALL EYES HAVE
BEEN ON SOLAR AND WIND. HOWEVER,
ANOTHER CONTENDER IS EMERGING.
t can be used to heat
buildings, light up our
cities, and power cars and
remote communities. It’s the most
abundant element in the universe
and sends rockets into space. It’s
seen as a viable alternative to gas
and coal. Global demand for it is
on the rise and, if we play our
cards right, Australia is set to profit
in a very big way. Here’s the kicker:
when it’s burned, there are no
carbon dioxide emissions. None.
This is hydrogen fuel, and its
promise is real. it’s locked up in many common
substances such as water and coal
and needs to be extracted in its
pure form.
“Hydrogen is not really a fuel in
its own right,” says Dr. Daniel
Roberts, head of hydrogen
research at the CSIRO. “We
usually see it more as a ‘carrier’ of
energy. One of the basic challenges
with hydrogen is that you have to
make it from something – that’s
often where the story gets
complicated.”
INTRODUCING
HYDROGEN FUEL Hydrogen fuel was first
identified as a credible energy
alternative in the 1970s, but it
never proved competitive at scale
– until now, thanks to growing
awareness of climate change.
I
Unlike other energy sources such
as coal, gas and solar that we
extract or capture, hydrogen isn’t
freely available as a gas. Instead,
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
32 GEMCELL.COM.AU JUN – JUL 2019
A government report by the
Hydrogen Strategy Group, which
is chaired by Australia’s chief
scientist Dr. Alan Finkel,
identified two common methods
used to produce hydrogen.
What’s to come may sound a bit
too much like high school
chemistry, but stay with us.
‘Carbon capture and storage’
hydrogen can be stripped out of
coal and natural gas. The process
produces carbon as a by-product,
and the impact can be mitigated
by capturing and sequestering it
in underground storage sites.
‘Renewable’ – or
electrochemical – hydrogen is
produced by using electricity to
split water molecules into
hydrogen and oxygen through a
process called electrolysis. The
electrolyser can be powered by
renewables such as solar and wind,
which means it emits no carbon
dioxide – this is one of the main
reasons why everyone is so excited
about hydrogen fuel. Just like solar
and wind, hydrogen is abundant
and renewable. Unlike solar and
wind, hydrogen isn’t subject to the
vagaries of the weather.
“The difference between
hydrogen and many other types of
fuel is the absence of carbon,
which is, of course, what causes
greenhouse gases,” says Stephanie
Moroz, a committee chair at the
Australian Institute of Energy and
principal at energy consultancy
Davanz. “If you make hydrogen
fuel through electrolysis with
renewable energies, it’s as clean
as it can get.”