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Powering up Process Industries to Meet Global Energy Transition Demands
The concept of green hydrogen is not new, but despite being the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen has only been used in science, engineering and technology in its gaseous H2 form since the 18th century. As a constituent part of water, there would be no oceans and therefore no life on earth without it. Fast forward and it is being used in a range of industries for the manufacture of chemical products, including methanol and ammonia, the energy source for transportation and the fuel for heavy industries.
By Ralph Burgener, Business Unit Manager, High Power Rectifiers, ABB Process Industries
Almost all hydrogen used in industry today is synthetic, manufactured through water electrolysis— which we’ ll address in this article— or steam-methane reforming. The technologies available to do this have until recently relied on fossil-fuel derived electricity. But significant inroads have been made to produce green hydrogen, which is a fuel created by splitting water into hydrogen( H 2) and oxygen( O 2). For it to take the name‘ green’ it must use an electric current that comes from renewable energy sources, think wind, solar or hydro, as examples.
In light of the drive towards a fossil-free future that aligns with the current global energy transition, and all consumer, government and industry association targets, companies are taking renewed notice of green hydrogen. It is growing, and will continue to grow long-term, as technologies and infrastructure come into play that can make the most of it. A host of industries will use it to decarbonize their manufacturing processes, including in steel and cement. In addition, the growing battery and energy storage industries will benefit.
Overall, there is a chance to make major gains in industries with green hydrogen, but those companies at the forefront cannot reduce their emissions alone. More can be expected from global technology leaders like ABB, who have highly complementary technologies already installed at customer sites, or available to be packaged and engineered to suit specific outcomes. It takes automation, electrification and digital solutions to ensure the likes of cement and steel can be produced in leaner and cleaner ways. Let us explore the topic.
Evolving Electrolyzers
The industries we have mentioned so far, cement and steel, can be expanded to include mobility— trucks, buses, railways and ships. But we will focus on the former two, which together contribute more than 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, according to a range of sources including Climate Group. There are long-term ambitions for these industries to be fully decarbonized, but this is no mean feat, particularly in the face of the current geopolitical environments and supply chain bottlenecks seen globally. Some companies are indeed rolling back mega projects that were intended to bring green hydrogen to markets fast. However, the technologies that exist today will be crucial to help meet 2030, 2035 and 2050 targets, and dovetail with incoming technologies.
30 FUGITIVE EMISSIONS JOURNAL • APRIL 2025