Old K says every week – talking about things in the petrochemical design industry. Post 42: A cost analysis of hydrogen energy

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This post was last edited by henglinkou on 2021-4-6 at 16:49. Old K’s weekly series – Talks about things in the petrochemical design industry, Post 42: A cost analysis of hydrogen energy. Currently, hydrogen energy is quite popular; hydrogen itself is a clean energy source, but it cannot be obtained directly from nature. Hydrogen must be produced using other energy sources, so it is considered a secondary energy source. So, is hydrogen energy really a clean energy source? Let’s do some calculations now. Assuming hydrogen is produced using the cleanest possible method, the process involves: solar power generation – electrolytic hydrogen production – hydrogen liquefaction – storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen – utilization of hydrogen as an energy source. The calorific value of hydrogen is 143,000 kJ/kg. Sequence Number, Process Energy Consumption (kJ/kg of hydrogen), CO2 Emissions: 1. Solar power generation – The production of solar panel materials is energy-intensive, and a large amount of CO2 is emitted during this process. 2. Electrolytic hydrogen production – The minimum theoretical value is 143,000; this figure does not include the energy consumption associated with producing the equipment needed for electrolytic hydrogen production, and CO2 is emitted during that process as well. 3. Hydrogen liquefaction – Using the current world minimum consumption level of 46,800, CO2 is emitted during the production of equipment for hydrogen liquefaction. 4. Hydrogen storage and transportation – There is energy consumption and losses involved in storing and transporting hydrogen, with estimates suggesting these amounts are greater than 3%; 4,290 is the value related to CO2 emissions during hydrogen transportation. 5. Use of hydrogen energy – The energy efficiency of electric vehicles powered by hydrogen is around 80%, but it is estimated that the energy efficiency of hydrogen energy will be lower than 80%; therefore, 80% is used as an estimate here. Based on the table above, the maximum efficiency of energy utilization from solar power generation to hydrogen use is: 143000*0.8/(143000+46800) = 60.3%. It can be seen from these figures that even with the optimal route for hydrogen production, it is difficult to consider it a clean energy source. Therefore, hydrogen energy derived from coal, natural gas, and similar sources is by no means a clean energy source. Furthermore, hydrogen is extremely dangerous; if all cars were powered by hydrogen, the consequences of severe traffic accidents or misuse by malicious actors would be unimaginable. Tip: You can enter “Lao K’s Weekly Updates – Talks on Matters in the Petrochemical Design Industry” into the website’s search engine to view previously posted articles