Hydrogen fuel produced with renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, is referred to as “green hydrogen.” In contrast to traditional hydrogen (most frequently produced from fossil fuels such as natural gas), green hydrogen is produced using a process known as electrolysis, wherein water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity.
This makes green hydrogen a clean and sustainable source of energy, especially for industries and sectors where direct electricity consumption is not feasible, for example, shipping, aviation, and heavy industry.
How Is Green Hydrogen Different From Other Types?
They come in various forms depending on their mode of production:
- Grey hydrogen: Derived from fossil fuels, especially natural gas. It has CO₂ emissions.
- Blue hydrogen: Also made from fossil fuels but traps emissions through carbon capture and storage technology (CCS).
- Green hydrogen: Produced with only renewable electricity with no emissions.
Clean hydrogen is the only one of them that is fully renewable and carbon-free.
What are some real-world examples of Clean hydrogen projects?
Clean hydrogen initiatives are being initiated across the globe to capture carbon emissions and facilitate the shift to clean energy. A few of them are:
NEOM Green Hydrogen Project (Saudi Arabia): Also considered to be among the world’s largest renewable hydrogen projects, fueled solely by wind and solar power. It is expected to ship green ammonia globally as early as 2026.
China’s Inner Mongolia Projects: China is also constructing a number of large-scale clean hydrogen plants in regions like Inner Mongolia powered by wind and solar power. One of the key projects in Ordos will be the manufacturing of over 30,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, placing China among the global leaders in this field.
HyDeploy (United Kingdom): A pioneering project incorporating renewable hydrogen into the natural gas network to reduce domestic heating emissions without requiring infrastructure modification.
Asian Renewable Energy Hub (Australia): A massive project of wind and solar energy in Western Australia to produce clean hydrogen and ammonia to be exported to Asia.
Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (Japan–Australia): An initiative to export carbon free hydrogen and eventually switch to green hydrogen completely between the two countries.
H2Haul (Europe): The initiative employs clean hydrogen-fueled hydrogen-powered electric trucks through logistics networks in several countries in Europe.
These initiatives underscore how countries across different continents are experimenting and investing in clean hydrogen as a future energy solution.
Which Countries Are Investing in Zero-emission hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is receiving significant investment from several nations as part of their clean energy plans:
- China
- Germany
- Australia
- Japan
- India
- United States
- Saudi Arabia
Posted by Abu Talha
With a background in science at the A-level, Abu Talha has studied subjects including physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology. Along with his more than 1.5 years of experience in digital marketing, he is passionate about writing about electric vehicles, sustainable energy, and how emerging technologies are influencing the future.
