Green hydrogen
Green hydrogen is made by electrolyzing water using clean energy generated by renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power. Electrolyzers make use of an electrochemical process to split water into its components, oxygen and hydrogen, and produce no carbon dioxide.
Green hydrogen currently accounts for just a small percentage of all hydrogen production due to the high price of producing. Green hydrogen is expected to become cheaper when it becomes more widely accessible similar to how wind energy is.
Blue Hydrogen
Blue hydrogen is primarily created from natural gas by the process of steam reforming. It blends natural gas with heated water in the form steam. The result is hydrogen, however, as a byproduct carbon dioxide is produced.
Therefore that the use of carbon storage and capture (CCS) to capture and store carbon is a part of the definition of blue hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is often called ‘low-carbon hydrogen’, despite the fact that steam reforming does not stop the production of greenhouse gases.
Grey Hydrogen
Grey hydrogen is created by natural gas or methane, through steam methane reformation not capturing the greenhouse gases that are produced. It is currently the most widely used method of creating hydrogen.
Grey hydrogen is like blue hydrogen, with the exception that it doesn’t involve carbon capture and storage.
Black and Brown Hydrogen
The hydrogen generated by black coal or the lignite (brown coal) is the contrast to the green form of hydrogen within the hydrogen spectrum, and also the most harmful to the environment.
To make matters more complicated to make matters more complicated, hydrogen produced from fossil fuels by gasification process is often described as hydrogen that is either brown or black.
In the past, Japan and Australia unveiled the first brown coal-to-hydrogen initiative. The project will make use of brown coal to produce hydrogen liquefied in Australia and then be shipped to Japan to be used in low-emission.
Pink Hydrogen
Pink hydrogen is produced by electrolysis that is powered by nuclear energy. Crimson hydrogen and purple hydrogen are other names used to describe hydrogen that is produced nuclear.
Additionally, the high temperatures created by nuclear reactors can be utilized to generate steam to enable improved electrolysis and steam methane reforming by using fossil gas.
Turquoise hydrogen
This is the latest element to the colour hydrogen chart. The scale production is not yet presented. Turquoise hydrogen is made by a process called methane pyrolysis. It generates carbon and hydrogen.
It could be used in the near future as a hydrogen with low emissions, when your heating system is fuelled with renewable energy and carbon is stored permanently or utilized.
Yellow hydrogen
Yellow hydrogen is often used to describe the hydrogen that is produced by electrolysis using solar energy. However, it can also be described as hydrogen electrolyzed using the combination of fossil and renewable power.
White hydrogen
White hydrogen is a type of hydrogen naturally occurring that is located within subsurface sediments. Scientists have discovered more deposits than they originally thought.
They are often accessible by drilling a hole. Since 2012 the well located in Mali is currently providing hydrogen white. Brazil, Australia, and other countries are also conducting exploratory programs.
Gold Hydrogen
Gold hydrogen is also described as hydrogen that is created by bacteria that ferment in oil wells depleted. It’s not just another low-cost hydrogen solution however, it also prolongs the lifespan of oil fields, instead of leaving them in a state of limbo.
For carbon neutrality Gold hydrogen synthesis process and extraction process is dependent on CO2 capture.
The Future of Hydrogen as an Energy Source
It is obvious that hydrogen is going to play an important role in achieving Net Zero as we move away from our past dependence on fossil fuels, and instead look towards alternatives that are green for powering our homes, businesses, and transport.
It’s an energy source that has an opportunity to tackle a variety of energy-related issues. It could be a substitute for conventional fossil fuels, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions at the moment of use.
In addition when green hydrogen is utilized as fuel, the whole value chain can be carbon-free, which means reduced emissions and less risks of climate change.
Hydrogen as a fuel – Importance for India
It will aid India’s transport industry (which makes up about one-third of India’s greenhouse gas emissions) along with steel and iron and chemical industries.
Hydrogen energy is a great way to assist India to achieve its goal of decarbonizing the country by 2050, and attaining one hundred GW renewable capacity in 2022.
The energy in 2.2 pounds (1 kilogramme) of hydrogen gas is similar to the energy content of one gallon (6.2 pounds, 2.8 kilogrammes) of petrol.
Conclusion
Energy and hydrogen have a long-standing relationship beginning with the first internal combustion engines more than 200 years ago, and then becoming a vital part of today’s refinery industry. It’s light and storable. It is also high in energy density, and does not cause pollution and greenhouse gasses. But, for hydrogen to make a significant contribution to the transition to clean energy the technology must be adopted in areas that are currently completely absent, like transportation, building construction and power generation.