New report from the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), identifies and quantifies the various mechanisms for fugitive hydrogen emissions, which occur when hydrogen is released into the atmosphere due to unintentional leaks, as well as deliberate purging and venting.
According to the report, there is mounting evidence that hydrogen is an indirect greenhouse gas that inhibits methane breakdown in the atmosphere. Understanding potential fugitive hydrogen emissions will aid in the development of BEIS policy in relation to future hydrogen energy systems.
Frazer-Nash’s Stephen Livermore, who led the study, said: “As the report notes, hydrogen is likely to play a significant role in the decarbonisation of the UK’s future energy system. By understanding where and how much hydrogen may be emitted government can explore technologies to reduce these emissions and consider their potential implications in relation to Net Zero 2050 decarbonization goals.”
The report makes recommendations for additional activities that could help to inform hydrogen emission predictions, such as better quantifying emissions from the process industry and identifying technologies to reduce hydrogen emissions from electrolyzers and fuel cells by recombining them with water.
