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A DEFINING FOCUS of the next century will be the race to develop clean and sustainable forms of energy as the need to to reduce carbon emissions becomes increasingly important.
In the bad books are oil, coal, and natural gas. Renewables like wind, solar, tidal, hydropower, and geothermal offer the solution, with alternative sources like nuclear or biomass also potentially forming part of the picture.
But another source (or energy carrier, to be exact) hasn’t quite entered our lexicon yet, and – depending on how it is produced – can fall in any of those classes: hydrogen.
Hydrogen has the potential to fill existing gaps in our energy market, and offer a scale in a way that isn’t quite attainable with battery power using current technologies.
But it’s not without its problems. It can be produced using fossil fuels (such as ‘blue’ and ‘grey’ hydrogen from gas, or ‘black’ and ‘brown’ hydrogen’ from coal) meaning there’s a risk of remaining reliant on these finite resources.
Even ‘green’ hydrogen, produced from purely renewable sources, must be approached in a way that doesn’t divert this energy away from where its better used.
Joining us on this week’s episode is James Carton, assistant professor in Sustainable Energy in DCU, founder of Hydrogen Ireland Association, and an academic advisor to the United Nations on hydrogen.
He explained the basics of hydrogen, what it could be used for and where it shouldn’t be used, and detailed how it could form part of energy systems in future.
https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/what-is-hydrogen-power-and-could-it-replace-coal-oil-and-gas/s-GvlIyxyZKEJ?si=559e492fd00e49d386da6d9b9cf5150e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
This episode was created by presenter Laura Byrne, senior producer Nicky Ryan and executive producer Sinéad O’Carroll.
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We’re getting it all wrong, and in the face of climate change, nuclear isn’t only an option – it’s the only option!
@Pól Pot: Nomen est omen.
France runs out of atom fuel:
doaat.edf.fr/message/edf-2023-00125
nuclear-monitor.fr/#/plant/CHOOZ/2?date=2023-06-18T21%3A00%3A00.000Z#production
Whether its an alternative or not, i can guarantee tax will remain the same and energy providers will charge whatever they want. Not a cent of green tax will go towards developing alternative power. Nuclear is the way to go but only if they contracted a company outside EU with experience in such projects to prevent another childrens hospital happening.
@Barney: re ” .. prevent another childrens hospital happening.”
You mean the Chernobyl children hospital?
The energetic loss of the hydrogen industry is 8 times the input.
Meaning 8 kWh of electricity are needed to produce 1 kWh of electricity when using hydrogen as energy carrier/storage.
The Journal could have placed this law of physics into the headline and saved us the article.
@Juri Hertel: I read that green hydrogen was about 30% efficient which is about what coal is. However the energy will be from offshore windfarms, collected when there is low demand for consumer electricity (midnight into the early morning hours) and using onboard electrolizers to produce and store hydrogen in fuel cells. So really your point is wrong. If the energy was not used in this way it would go to waste.
There was a propaganda scheme by Board Gais claiming that hydrogen can be fed into existing gas grid without problems in a concentration of up to 20%
Board Gais had to make up the alternative facts themself.
In reality – very well known to every student – hydrogen is lighter than methane and therefore separates in standing pipes ( 100% hydrogen floating in a bubble).
This natural concentration to 100% in the existing gas pipe infrastructure leads to explosions, city gas was banned for this reason.
whatever the alternatives, you can be sure the carbon taxes and anything else the green loons come up with to hit people in the pocket will remain before they are turfed out of government
Why can’t we drill down close to Earths core, produce steam and drive turbines that generate electricity?
@Emmet Murphy:
Because of your drill?
Sorry, no offense.
Steam power is dead, PV produces electric power for € 0.04/kWh market price.
@Juri Hertel: Nothing wrong with my drill or bit and I’ve a woman to back me up on that!
If oil fell from the sky, people would be putting out buckets to catch it.
Happily we already have a maintenance free hydrogen nuclear reactor folks.
Embrace the light of the Sun folks!
#stopburningstuff
Hydrogen is only a runner if Red / Pink, like Hitachi are going to be doing with their new SMRs. Hopelessly inefficient if trying to do it by electrolysis off intermittent wind power and complete Climate Change horror if produced off fossil fuels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH1DKzG7W_o&t=3s
@Nicholas Grubb:
No 1 ‘new’ atom power nation China has just banned the SMRs, to dangerous:
globalconstructionreview.com/china-halts-floating-nuclear-power-plan-over-security-fears/
@Nicholas Grubb: Your argument might hold water if the climate crisis could be put off for a hundred years. Unfortunately its on our doorstep now so we have to act now. It takes 20 years to commission a new nuclear power station. The so called SMR’s are still at the drawing board stage, so let’s say 50 years before the first one is built and if its in your street your neighbours will be happy to risk living next to it. Nuclear power stations last 50 or 60 years and although once set up the energy is relatively cheap the overall cost is woeful because of the extreme expense of building them. Nobody is willing to invest in them anymore because unlike your good self they do not see governments financially interested or willing to give guaranties. They depend on water for cooling so whether on rivers as in France or on the coast as in most other countries rising sea levels, more extreme storms and droughts are making some (at least in France) non operational now, or at least during last summer in drought stricken France. Also the war in Ukraine has shown that they can be a security risk. No, there is no immediate future for nuclear power.
Price per liter of synthetic Diesel ….. €36.-/liter in Germany with the latest most modern hydroliser:
“Tausende Liter grünes Benzin aus Sachsen”
use the translation tool
Hydrogen is 11 times more climate damaging than CO2
gov.uk/government/publications/atmospheric-implications-of-increased-hydrogen-use
The hydrogen industry itself warns against increased hydrogen use already in 2003.The laws of physics, you know …
planetforlife.com/pdffiles/h2report.pdf
Cork atom bomb manufacturer wants hydrogen industry in Ireland:
collinsaerospace.com/news/news/2023/03/collins-aerospace-to-lead-the-development-of-thermoplastics-for-liquid-hydrogen-tanks
..
i thought Hydrogen was a Gladiator from the 90′s ?
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