The Transition to Hydrogen

The bulk of the global energy consumption arises from fossil fuel sources including natural gas, coal, and oil. These sources directly affect the world’s climate through the emission of greenhouse gases and will eventually run out. Leading members of the EU have been setting plans to combat climate change and to transition to clean energy options. The Netherlands specifically plans to replace gas-powered cars by the next decade with electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles to meet the net-zero carbon target by 2050. For this rapid change, the transportation sector is experiencing increased pressure to transition to alternative fuels such as hydrogen. Hydrogen-powered vehicles can be equipped with fuel cells or a hydrogen internal combustion engine, through burning or reacting oxygen and hydrogen and emitting heat and water. Production of green hydrogen, which is produced through splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, is not cost-effective at a commercial scale. The common method, steam methane reforming, utilizes methane and steam to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. By utilizing carbon capture in this process, environmental effects are minimal, and a pure hydrogen product is made. Through SMR with carbon capture, we plan to produce 8750 kilograms per day in Rotterdam, Netherlands to meet half the expected demand at hydrogen fuel stations in the country. By adding carbon capture to the process, the goal is to produce environmentally friendly blue hydrogen. In Rotterdam, a pipeline infrastructure will be in place to transport hydrogen throughout the country and to transport the carbon dioxide produced to the North Sea gas fields for an incentive of €300 per ton. This plant will be analyzed further for its safety, integrity, and economic feasibility and will serve as a transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen fuel as hydrogen fuel becomes more cost effective.