Guest column/Hydrogen hub project is bad for our communities (2024)

On Aug. 16, I sat in on the third public meeting (by zoom) about the ARCH2 Clean Hydrogen Hub. This meeting was conducted by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. The Department of Energy held two listening sessions about the hub this spring. After all three sessions, citizens were left in the dark as to the project details. There were more than 200 questions logged during the OCED call and approximately three were answered. The lack of public engagement has been ongoing throughout the process even though the DOE promised significant community engagement. It seems the only engagement being conducted is behind closed doors with industry groups.

More than 50 environmental organizations signed a letter on May 28 asking the U.S. Department of Energy to suspend negotiations on Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub until more information about the project was released. This letter was sent by the Ohio River Valley Institute to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, or ARCH2, recently was allocated a $30 million chunk of the total $925 million of federal funds awarded. The majority of partners in the hub are fossil fuel corporations or have ties to fossil fuels. These “partners” will see project sites across Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Scientific studies reveal that using dirty, climate-changing fossil fuels to create hydrogen is not efficient and not a path to a green energy economy. In addition, “It will always be more efficient to rely first on the direct use of renewable electricity wherever it is possible to do so, rather than convert that electricity into hydrogen before using it as an energy source.”

ARCH2 proponents state they can make clean hydrogen, hydrogen that will produce 2 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions or less per kilogram of hydrogen produced on site. However, most of the hydrogen produced at the ARCH2 projects will be blue hydrogen, hydrogen made using a process called steam methane reforming, where methane is sourced from fracking operations The carbon dioxide produced from this process is captured by using carbon capture sequestration technology. About 95 percent of U.S. hydrogen is blue hydrogen produced with methane gas.

Globally, less than 0.02 percent of hydrogen is actually green, which means it was made by using water to supply the hydrogen and renewable electricity to split the water molecules. Even green hydrogen comes with risks, as hydrogen fuel cells and the electrolyzers used to make hydrogen require toxic PFAS polymers.

A 2023 report, “Blue Hydrogen: Not Clean, Not Low Carbon, Not a Solution,” states that even with a 95 percent carbon capture efficiency, steam methane reforming would still release into the atmosphere 13 kg of carbon dioxide per 1 kg of hydrogen produced, well above the DOE’s 4 kg of CO2 per 1 kg of H2 produced.

Carbon capture technology would require a pipeline system of close to 68,000 miles at a cost of $230 billion. Before being transported through the pipelines, CO2 needs to be pressurized to 1,000 psi, becoming a supercritical fluid and then injected into Class VI wells. The pipelines used for transportation can rupture and release concentrated carbon dioxide, an asphyxiant, into the atmosphere. A pipeline rupture in Satartia, Miss., injured 45 people. Additionally, CO2 storage has to be monitored indefinitely and carbon dioxide can cause groundwater to become contaminated as CO2 combines with underground water to react and form carbonic acid.

A Nebraska-based energy company, Tenaska, has recently received $69 million from the DOE to drill four Class VI test wells in the Tri-State Area. Currently, there are no Class VI commercial-scale carbon dioxide injection wells in operation in Ohio, West Virginia or Pennsylvania.

The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations claims the Tri-State Area was chosen for a hub because it had “renewable electricity sources for hydrogen production,” but Ohio only gets 4 percent of its electricity from renewable energy.

Hydrogen as a fuel source has its own problems. It is flammable and can cause explosions.

“Hydrogen fires are invisible, making them even more hazardous for first responders, and unlike natural gas, no odorants are added to hydrogen so leaks are hard to detect. The gas can corrode steel in a process called hydrogen embrittlement, and brittle pipelines are more prone to leaks and explosions. Studies show blending hydrogen with methane in methane specific infrastructure systems is problematic. Additionally, hydrogen is an indirect greenhouse gas. Hydrogen emissions increase the lifetime of methane gas in the atmosphere.

While local, state and federal politicians, as well as the oil and gas industry, sing the praises of the ARCH2 projects, we in the Appalachian area realize that it means locking our region into more fracking and all the destruction and health effects that process brings to local communities.

The Inflation Reduction Act also increases tax credits for every ton of carbon dioxide captured from $50 to $85. ARCH2 is win-win for fossil fuel companies, but not for local communities.

(Pokladnik, a resident of Uhrichsville, holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, master’s and doctorates in environmental studies and is certified in hazardous materials regulations.)

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Guest column/Hydrogen hub project is bad for our communities (2024)

FAQs

What are the problems with hydrogen hubs? ›

Hubs that use natural gas in their production process, for example, could add to local air pollution levels. Burning hydrogen also results in emissions of nitrogen oxides, which can irritate peoples' airways and contribute to smog.

Why are hydrogen hubs important? ›

Hydrogen hubs play an essential role in the global energy ecosystem. By supporting the transition away from fossil fuels, hydrogen hubs can help further many countries' initiatives to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Is hydrogen a distraction? ›

But while hydrogen could be a crucial climate solution eventually, so far it's been a dangerous distraction.

Is dirty hydrogen the same as green hydrogen? ›

Hydrogen types can be categorized most simply as either dirty hydrogen that uses methane gas to create fuel, and clean (or “green”) hydrogen, which is produced through 100% renewable energy to split hydrogen off water molecules.

What are the risks of hydrogen projects? ›

One of the main environmental risks associated with green hydrogen is the potential for water scarcity. The production of green hydrogen requires a significant amount of water and, in some areas where water is already scarce, this increase in demand could exacerbate existing water shortages.

What is the biggest problem with hydrogen? ›

Hydrogen's energy content by volume is low. This makes storing hydrogen a challenge because it requires high pressures, low temperatures, or chemical processes to be stored compactly.

What states are hydrogen hubs in? ›

Summary: The Heartland Hydrogen Hub consists of project locations across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota, with the potential to expand into neighboring states, that will leverage the region's abundant energy resources to help decarbonize the agricultural sector's production of fertilizer and decrease the ...

What are the pros and cons of hydrogen fuel cell production? ›

Hydrogen fuel cells

Pros: No vehicle emissions other than water vapor. Fuel economy equivalent to about twice that of gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is abundant, and can be made from renewable energy. Cons: This space-age technology is expensive.

What is the hydrogen hub strategy? ›

The hydrogen hub initiative

Our hydrogen hub initiative is a key action under the NSW Hydrogen Strategy, which sets out our plan to develop a green hydrogen industry. We are supporting the development of 3 hydrogen hubs to increase the production and availability of green hydrogen across the state.

Why are people against hydrogen? ›

If it is not produced using renewable sources, hydrogen pollutes. To date, more than 96% of the hydrogen used is grey. It costs less, but its impact on the environment is so great that 10 kilos of carbon dioxide are produced for every kilo of hydrogen obtained.

Is hydrogen bad for the environment? ›

And while hydrogen production does not generate greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen combustion, like any combustion reaction that heats air to high temperatures, creates harmful pollutants called nitrogen oxides. These are linked to smog, acid rain, and damaging health impacts such as asthma and respiratory infections.

Why is hydrogen a poor choice? ›

Hydrogen is corrosive and highly combustible. It can ignite at almost any air-to-fuel ratio and is more explosive than methane gas. Moreover, adding hydrogen to natural gas would be expected to expand methane's explosive limits. For this reason, piping the mix into homes and businesses carries the risk of explosion.

Is hydrogen 100% green? ›

Although it is 100% sustainable and versatile, green hydrogen is expensive to produce due to the cost of energy from the renewable sources that are key to generating green hydrogen through electrolysis. It requires more energy than other fuels to produce any kind of hydrogen, green in particular.

What is the cleanest hydrogen? ›

Green hydrogen is made by using clean electricity from surplus renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to electrolyse water. Electrolysers use an electrochemical reaction to split water into its components of hydrogen and oxygen, emitting zero-carbon dioxide in the process.

Is hydrogen greener than gas? ›

Hydrogen is often held up as a potential clean fuel of the future, because it can be burned like oil or gas but releases no climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2)—only water. But while hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, there isn't an easy-to-tap source of pure hydrogen available on Earth.

What are major challenges with hydrogen storage? ›

Storing hydrogen in metal cylinders as compressed gas is a common practice. However, hydrogen embrittlement is a challenge in such cases and needs to be addressed. Embrittlement leads to the deterioration of the metal cylinders in which the hydrogen gas is stored and is therefore a safety concern.

What are the three main problems associated with hydrogen fuels? ›

The disadvantages of using hydrogen as fuel
  • If it is “grey”, it pollutes. If it is not produced using renewable sources, hydrogen pollutes. ...
  • It is a gas that is difficult to handle. ...
  • It is less advantageous than electric power for cars.

What is the main problem with hydrogen cars? ›

Poor conversion efficiency (see below chart) within the vehicle leading to energy losses and high fuel costs. Higher lifetime costs of FCEVs, almost exclusively due to the higher fuel cost. 96% of global hydrogen production is still from non-renewable sources.

What are 3 drawbacks to hydrogen fuel cells? ›

Hydrogen fuel cells

Cons: This space-age technology is expensive. Acceptable range requires extremely-high-pressure, on-board hydrogen storage. Few places to refuel. Hydrogen is very expensive to transport and there is no infrastructure in place yet.

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