Hydrogen is often heralded as the future’s clean fuel of, but leaky hydrogen infrastructure could end up increasing atmospheric methane levels, causing decades-long climate consequences. If some hydrogen is emitted into the atmosphere now, it will lead to a progressive build-up of methane. Even though hydrogen only has a lifespan of around two years in the atmosphere, there will still be a methane feedback from it in 30 years from now. If more than 9% of the green hydrogen produced leaks into the atmosphere — whether at the point of production, sometime during transport, or anywhere else along the value chain — atmospheric methane would increase over the next few decades, canceling out some of the climate benefits of switching away from fossil fuels.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230313162740.htm
Green hydrogen (made without fossil fuels — 98% of hydrogen today is made from fossil fuels) has a few, valuable applications. Unfortunately, many gas utilities want to use green hydrogen to extend their current business model. These gas utilities are planning a future based on delivering a mix of green hydrogen and fossil gas to homes and other buildings for heating. This is not safe for customers and it’s not safe for the environment.
A new report on hydrogen from the Gas Transition Allies, provides well-researched detail. See https://www.gastransitionallies.org/hydrogen-report. This reports covers:
— hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas;
— evaluation of applications of green hydrogen;
— green hydrogen for heating: a predictable dead end;
— greenhouse effects of hydrogen;
— and last but definitely not least — safety
M. Roetter, G. Richardson, Impact of Green Hydrogen Production on the Availability of Clean Electricity
for the Grid, Version 1, February 2023, https://www.gastransitionallies.org/hydrogen-rng
Please contact gastransitionallies@gmail.com with any questions or observations you may have.