Hydrogen 101

HYDROGEN PRIMER AND

POTENTIAL FOR DECARBONIZATION

KEY TAKEAWAYS KEY ADVANTAGES

• Hydrogen is a clean energy solution to help Hydrogen has three key advantages that distinguish it
decarbonize critical sectors of the economy such as from other zero-carbon energy options:
transportation, power generation, and manufacturing.
1. It generates high heat when burned, resulting in
• Hydrogen's versatility as an energy carrier distinguishes zero-carbon emissions.
its long-term potential to contribute to meeting 2. It is suitable for seasonal energy storage, improving
midcentury climate goals.
grid reliability.
• Hydrogen production is flexible, with some production 3. It can be flexibly produced with available resources,
pathways capable of achieving low, zero, or net- supporting an affordable and scalable clean energy
negative emissions. transition.

WHAT IS HYDROGEN?
Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that does not produce carbon emissions when burned making it poised to play a
substantial role in decarbonization. Hydrogen is an energy carrier, meaning it can deliver and store energy from other
sources. This quality makes it an ideal alternative to burning fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas.
Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biogas, and renewable
power like solar and wind. While hydrogen releases no emissions when burned as fuel, hydrogen production methods
have varying emissions intensity levels.

WHAT MAKES HYDROGEN CLEAN?

The production pathway is what determines whether hydrogen is “clean” or not. Clean, in this context, refers to whether
the production pathway results in significantly large amount of carbon emissions compared to other methods.
Each of hydrogen’s production stages and end-uses need to be measured to determine its total emissions. This
evaluation is often called a lifecycle greenhouse gas analysis and can help ensure that the production method creates
low- or zero-carbon hydrogen across pathways. Accounting methods like this one are critical to ensuring that carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions are not overlooked during the production process and the eventual use of hydrogen. Hydrogen
is considered "clean" for the purposes of funding opportunities if the entire production process creates two kilograms or
less of CO2 for every kilogram of hydrogen produced.

HOW CAN HYDROGEN HELP DECARBONIZE OUR ECONOMY?

Hydrogen has the potential to meet various needs in our economy including three of the most energy-intensive sectors:

Transportation sector Power sector

For transportation, hydrogen can power zero-emissions Hydrogen allows the use of existing assets in the
vehicles through fuel cell technology. Unlike a traditional power sector for the energy transition, avoiding the
internal combustion engine used in most cars today, fuel cell high capital costs of new development. In some
vehicles use hydrogen and oxygen to emit water as exhaust, cases, it can be blended with natural gas and
producing no CO2, particulate, or sulfur emissions. distributed through existing natural gas transport
infrastructure.
Manufacturing and industrial sectors Hydrogen can also play a key role in enabling electric
Hydrogen can be used in the manufacturing and industrial grid stability. It is particularly suitable for long-duration
sectors for either power generation or industrial applications. storage (meaning ten or more hours in this context).
Notably, hydrogen can reach the high temperatures required When energy demand is low and electricity generation
for industrial heating processes, such as cement and is high, hydrogen can conserve electricity until
steel manufacturing. For example, high heat is needed to demand increases. This quality is particularly useful
chemically modify the ingredients for cement production. as more seasonal and variable generation, such as
Reaching such high temperatures can be hard to achieve renewable generation, increases. Hydrogen can offer
through other low-carbon strategies, such as electrification. the complementary capacity to efficiently store excess
Hydrogen can also serve as a feedstock for many chemical energy when energy production is high and exceeds
processes inherent to industrial production. demand.
HOW IS HYDROGEN PRODUCED?
Just as there are many opportunities to utilize hydrogen, there are also many production methods. Each pathway uses
different inputs to produce hydrogen, with a wide range of carbon emission-reduction options.
Flexible production allows for the best use of surrounding resources. For instance, in areas with an abundance of
natural gas production, methane reformers can be used to produce hydrogen. The carbon emissions from those
facilities can be captured and used or stored, resulting in low-carbon hydrogen. Electrolyzer plants offer opportunities
in areas with abundant renewable and zero-carbon energy. And, areas with biomass waste feedstocks can combine
gasification with carbon capture to produce hydrogen. That combination has the potential to produce hydrogen with net-
negative emissions. Although there are many ways to produce hydrogen, here are a few of the more common ways:

Electrolysis
H
Hydrogen can be produced by using water electrolysis,
O + H H + O
which uses electricity to split water into oxygen and H
hydrogen gas. The potential for emissions reductions from
electrolysis is dependent on the electricity source, such as H2O (water) + ELECTRICITY = H2 (hydrogen) + O (oxygen)
renewables, fossil fuels, or nuclear power.

Steam-methane and autothermal reforming Other production types

Hydrogen can also be produced when natural gas is split • Methane pyrolysis produces hydrogen through the
into hydrogen and CO2 using steam-methane reforming or thermal splitting of methane. This process is still
autothermal reforming. During steam-methane reforming, experimental and removes the carbon in a solid form
methane and water are heated and react to create carbon instead of CO2 gas.
monoxide and hydrogen. Water is added to the system,
• Coal gasification uses steam and oxygen to break
reacting with the carbon monoxide to form CO2 and
molecular bonds in coal and form a gaseous mixture
hydrogen.
of hydrogen and CO2.
Step 1: Steam-methane reforming reaction
• Hydrogen also occurs naturally.

H H H O
H H H
+ WHAT IS NEXT FOR HYDROGEN?
H

O + C +
H HH H C
H H The Federal Government has recognized the importance
of reaching cost-effective hydrogen production by
H2O (water) + CH4 (methane) + (HEAT) → 3H2 (hydrogen) + 2030 and has awarded $9.5 billion through the
CO (carbon monoxide) Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support clean hydrogen
deployment. Eight billion dollars of that funding will
Step 2: Water-gas shift reaction
go towards developing areas across the nation where
hydrogen producers and consumers are closely located
H O and connected, also known as hydrogen hubs.
O O
+ O
C + HH +
C H To bring clean hydrogen production to scale, the Inflation
Reduction Act includes a scaled Clean Hydrogen
CO (carbon monoxide) + H2O (water) → CO2 (carbon Production Tax Credit to defray the upfront and
dioxide) + H2 (hydrogen) + (A LITTLE HEAT) operating costs associated with production. The credit
is technology neutral and awarded based on carbon
Autothermal reforming uses oxygen and CO2 or steam in a intensity, such that the lower the carbon intensity of the
reaction with methane to form synthesis gas. Synthesis gas hydrogen produced, the greater the credit value. The
is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen, carbon Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a consistent
monoxide, and very often CO2. measure of evaluating how clean hydrogen is.

4X H Applicable percentage as determined by

O 4X
H O H 10X lifecycle greenhouse gas rates
H
C + + H
HH
+ O
O
H O Carbon Intensity (kg- Max Hydrogen PTC
H H C
CO2e/kg H2) Credit ($/kg H2)
4CH4 (methane) + O2 (oxygen) + 2H2O (water) → 10H2 4kg – 2.5 20%
(hydrogen) + 4CO (carbon monoxide)
2.5kg – 1.5 25%
The carbon oxides created from both processes, steam-
methane reforming or autothermal reforming, can be 1.5kg – 0.45 33.4%
captured and utilized or stored to create a zero- or low- <0.45kg 100%
carbon production pathway.
September, 2022