BP examines potential of hydrogen fuel to “reinvent” natural gas
Erin KilgoreJuly 5, 2021
The oil giant is seeking to become a leader in a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The energy economics team at BP and the International Energy Agency (IEA) see a strong future for hydrogen fuel in transitioning away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources.
This transition would play a substantial role in the efforts to decarbonize using existing infrastructures.
Dev Sanyal, executive vice president of BP overseeing Gas & Low Carbon Energy, talked about BP’s strategy during the Hydrogen Energy Dialogues virtual event sponsored by a collaboration between Energy Dialogues LLC and the Natural Gas Initiative from Stanford University. According to estimates from the IEA, hydrogen fuel usage could rise to about 210 million metric tons per year (mmty) by 2030, from its current level of about 90 mmty last year.
“BP’s own analysis shows that hydrogen could have more than a 15% share in total global energy consumption by 2050,” said Sanyal. “So whatever way you look at it, hydrogen has a big role to play.”
Hydrogen fuel is also expected to provide reliability as electrification rises around the world.
“As this takes place, hydrogen can offer a reliable role by providing energy to activities which are difficult or costly to electrify,” explained Sanyal about the versatile role H2 will play in global decarbonization. Heavy-duty fleets and other types of long-haul transportation, as well as industry, find high-temperature processes to be expensive. “Put simply, hydrogen has a key role to play in the decarbonisation of hard to abate, energy-intensive heavy industries.”
BP has made it clear that both blue and green hydrogen would be considered appropriate for its strategy. Green H2 is produced using renewable energy to power the electrolyzers, so the process is emission-free. Blue hydrogen, on the other hand, uses natural gas to power the electrolyzers, meaning that it does produce carbon emissions which must then be managed, such as through carbon capture technology.
“Importantly, the production of blue hydrogen helps overall global supplies of hydrogen to grow Hydrogen fuel - Renewable Hydrogen News - Pick it up here and save the oceanrelatively quickly, without relying too heavily on renewable energy, which needs time to gain a significant share of the overall energy mix.” said Sanyal about the hydrogen fuel production strategy.
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Study shows South African green hydrogen production holds considerable promise
The country is well positioned to become a leader in the zero-carbon shipping fuel market.
According to research conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund and Ricardo for the P4G Getting to Zero Coalition Partnership, South African green hydrogen production is highly promising.
The nation holds substantial unused opportunity for supplying H2 to the global shipping industry.
Focusing on South African green hydrogen production and H2-derived renewable fuels that are being used worldwide for decarbonization could provide the country’s economy with a substantial kickstart. This would open South Africa to new export markets while supporting an equitable transition and adding appealing jobs in numbers.
The new research examined the environmental and economic potentials for implementing zero-carbon shipping fuels through the country’s shipping sector. This would occur at a time in which maritime transport is on the cusp of an energy transformation. By 2030, the shipping industry will have started making substantial moves toward the replacement of heavy bunker fuel with new greenhouse gas emission-free shipping fuels generated through the use of renewable energy. This will be critical to the global capacity to reach its decarbonization targets.
South African green hydrogen could help the country reach its 2050 net zero emissions commitment.
“Our study shows that South Africa has an abundance of renewable energy potential. It is enough to supply the country’s domestic electrical demand as well as the production of zero carbon fuels to supply commercial vessels refueling in its international ports. The adoption of zero carbon propulsion technologies at South Africa’s ports could attract investment of between 122 and 175 billion Rand in onshore infrastructure by 2030. All that is needed to unlock this investment is the right policy incentives set at the International Maritime Organization,” said Environmental Defense Fund director of international climate Aoife O’Leary.
“South Africa has the opportunity feed into the growing global demand for decarbonized materials, products and services by offering bunkering capability for zero carbon fuels to vessels of all types. With access to busy shipping routes, abundant renewable energy potential, and experience handling these and other fuels, South Africa is in a great position to produce the shipping fuels of the future, access a growing global market, and thus catalyze a new low carbon economy,” said Ricardo future energy specialist and project lead Olivia Carpenter-Lomax.
The new report indicates that South African green hydrogen production would be well suited in both South African green hydrogen - Renewable Hydrogen News - Pick it up here and save the oceanits geographic location and economic development. It would strengthen the country’s shipping sector and create an export for international markets.