What is Blue Hydrogen?

Blue Hydrogen

• In this article, production, what is blue hydrogen, its production, fact about it and controversy regarding it according to International Energy Agency is given.

Production of Blue Hydrogen

• Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas with a process of steam methane forming (SMR). 
• A natural gas is mixed with very hot steam and catalyst in which chemical reaction creating hydrogen and carbon monoxide. 
• Water is added to mixture, turns carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and more hydrogen. 
• If the carbon dioxide is captured and stored underground using carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), resulting hydrogen is called as blue hydrogen.

Fact about Blue Hydrogen

• Most common and economical way is produce hydrogen is blue hydrogen. It produces zero emission when used with CCUS. 
• Methane does not last as long as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but one ton of methane can be considered to be equivalent to 28 to 36 tons of carbon dioxide according to International Energy Agency.

Blue Hydrogen Controversy

• Hydrogen is viewed as the fuel of the future. 
• All scientists predicted that it will be clean, renewable and efficient but the blue hydrogen technology can be polluting more than the traditional fossil fuels. 
• Blue hydrogen is derived from methane in natural gas in which production of carbon dioxide is captured and stored deep underground.
• However, new research indicates that this energy is actually worse than burning coal. 
• According to new report by Cornell and Stanford University researchers in the US, Blue hydrogen currently keeps 85% of UK homes warm. 
• In the US, half of the homes use natural gas for space and water heating.

According to International Energy Agency, 90% of hydrogen produce is made using fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas. This process is known as reformatting. The process involves combination of fossil fuel with steam and heating them to around 800 ^oC, which produces carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The carbon dioxide emitted to atmosphere which contributes heating and hydrogen is extracted, used for car engines and boilers.