Nowadays, the use of clean energy is becoming increasingly important in achieving sustainability, especially across the industrial sector. An energy source with significant potential for large-scale adoption is hydrogen energy.
Hydrogen is an element commonly found in industrial processes. The interesting part is that it can also be harnessed as a fuel and electricity source. Want to know the ins and outs of hydrogen energy? Read this article until the end!
What Is Hydrogen Energy?
Hydrogen energy is known as a clean and versatile energy carrier thanks to its flexibility to be used in various sectors, from vehicle fuel to power plants, although its storage requires special technology.
Hydrogen can generally be produced through several methods, namely steam methane reforming, which produces carbon dioxide, and electrolysis, which can produce green hydrogen when powered by renewable energy.
However, hydrogen production methods continue to develop, with the emergence of biomass gasification, photoelectrolysis, and thermochemical processes, which are considered capable of improving efficiency.
So, why is hydrogen energy being considered as one of the clean energy sources? Compared to fossil fuels, this energy can produce water and heat under certain methods, resulting in lower emissions.
As the lightest element on the periodic table, hydrogen can be transported in gaseous, liquid, or solid forms. Its raw materials are also diverse, ranging from water and biomass to coal and natural gas.
Moreover, hydrogen also has the highest energy content by weight compared with other common fuels, at around three times that of gasoline. However, in liquid form, hydrogen has a lower energy density by volume than gasoline, at approximately four times lower.
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Is Hydrogen Energy Safe as a Fuel?
In general, hydrogen energy is safe to use as a fuel as long as it is processed properly and supported by adequate infrastructure. Hydrogen also evaporates easily, dissipates quickly into the air, and is non-toxic.
However, hydrogen is highly flammable and can produce an almost invisible flame, making it more complicated to handle, especially if a leak occurs in an area without special sensors.
That is why every hydrogen energy processing facility must have a modern system that strictly regulates operations to prevent leaks and other dangerous risks.
How to Use Hydrogen Energy
Hydrogen energy can be utilized in three ways, which are:
1. Combustion
Hydrogen energy can be burned in turbines or combustion engines. In the process, hydrogen reacts with oxygen, producing water vapor and heat. Because it is heated at high temperatures, this process produces a small amount of nitrogen oxides.
2. Fuel Cell
Hydrogen fuel cells are "batteries" that can generate electricity through a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells generally consist of an electrolyte membrane, an anode (where oxidation or electron release occurs), and a cathode (where reduction or electron acceptance occurs).
The fuel cell works as follows: first, hydrogen atoms split into protons and electrons at the anode. Second, the protons pass through the electrolyte membrane, while the electrons generate an electric current. Next, oxygen, electrons, and protons combine to produce heat and water at the cathode.
Fuel cells only produce water vapor, making them more environmentally friendly. This mechanism is ideal for power generation, green vehicles, and energy storage. Nowadays, many fuel cell technologies are being developed, such as polymer electrolyte membrane, direct methanol, phosphoric acid, and more.
3. Storage
Hydrogen can be stored as a gas in pressurized tanks or as a liquid in cryogenic tanks. Each storage method is adjusted according to its use. For example, hydrogen gas is generally used on a large scale, while liquid hydrogen is used for transportation.
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Uses of Hydrogen Energy
One of the main uses of hydrogen energy is as a fuel. Its flammable nature and energy storage capability are the reasons. Hydrogen can be used in vehicles and power plants. Buses and cars can use hydrogen energy through combustion or fuel cells.
As a fuel, hydrogen is environmentally superior compared to hydrocarbons because it has lower emissions, although its overall efficiency also depends on the production method.
Furthermore, hydrogen energy is also commonly used to generate electricity, especially through fuel cells. The electricity produced can be used for various areas, such as electric vehicles or mobile phones.
Besides that, hydrogen is also used as a raw material in the chemical industry and refineries, as a gas mixture in steel production, and for heating.
Differences Between Green, Blue, and Grey Hydrogen
When discussing hydrogen energy, you might also come across the terms green and blue hydrogen. They are distinguished based on the production process and the carbon footprint they produce.
Green hydrogen is generally produced using electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources, like wind turbines and solar panels. The process is almost emission-free because it does not involve fossil energy, and the electricity generated is cleaner.
Meanwhile, blue hydrogen is produced from steam methane reforming of natural gas. This process usually generates a lot of carbon dioxide, but the emissions are captured using carbon capture technology. The amount captured can vary, ranging from 50% to 90% of carbon emissions.
On the other hand, gray hydrogen has a process similar to blue hydrogen, also through steam methane reforming of natural gas. The difference is in handling carbon emissions, where gray hydrogen releases them directly into the atmosphere, making it less environmentally friendly. Currently, gray hydrogen is the most widely used type because it is more affordable.
That concludes the information about hydrogen energy as a renewable energy source. Nowadays, there are more options that can be made to reduce environmental impact without sacrificing quality and operational efficiency.
This includes PT Krakatau Chandra Energi (KCE), which has started exploring the potential use of hydrogen as a power generation energy source based on fuel cells. As part of this initiative, KCE is collaborating with Air Liquide Indonesia and HDF Energy by signing a joint feasibility study MOU.
This collaboration involves KCE in the electricity sector, HDF Energy as a developer of hydrogen fuel cell-based power plants, and Air Liquide in the industrial technology and gas sector.
Going forward, the results of this joint feasibility study are expected to serve as a strategic foundation for investment decision-making, while also supporting the national energy transition and strengthening KCE's efforts to become one of the pioneers in providing electricity and hydrogen energy in the future.
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