Dubious Promises of Hydrogen Energy in a Climate-Constrained World
Verbruggen A. Yermekova G. Baigarin K.
February 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Energies
2025#18Issue 3
Vocal proponents claim that hydrogen will play a crucial role in the low-carbon energy future, a claim critics dismiss. Our approach to clarifying these disputes involves reviewing literature and policy documents, revisiting energy and hydrogen physics, and framing the hydrogen question within the context of failing climate and energy politics and actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Clarity about hydrogen’s role begins with knowing its peculiar properties, followed by numerical data on energy conversions and related losses, which reveal intractable hurdles in deploying a hydrogen energy economy. Thus, hydrogen derivatives like ammonia and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels emerge, but they sink the green hydrogen ambitions advertised to the public. Their dubious environmental and financial performance is hidden by substantial subsidies. The announced EU megaproject for producing 11 Mtons of green ammonia at the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan contrasts with the 20 ktons realized project in Norway. While the Kazakhstani project promises grand results, its practical and financial feasibility is questionable. The Norwegian project shows the reality of green ammonia production. The article concludes that hydrogen’s economic and environmental feasibility remains challenging.
H2 climate impact , H2 embrittlement , H2 flammability , H2 Herøya Yara plant , H2 Hyrasia megaproject , squandering renewable electricity
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Department Engineering Management, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, Antwerp, BE2000, Belgium
Climate Change Coordination Centre, Abay av.20, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Research and Innovation System, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay batyr av.53, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department Engineering Management
Climate Change Coordination Centre
Research and Innovation System
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