According to a new study from Stanford and Cornell universities, blue hydrogen generation emits more greenhouse gases than simply burning natural gas.

However, according to the CEO of a business that aims to establish a blue hydrogen hub in North Dakota, the study looks at an outdated process for manufacturing blue hydrogen. North Dakota’s hydrogen hub, on the other hand, will employ a totally modern technique known as auto thermal reforming.

Once operational, the company predicts that its blue hydrogen will capture 95 percent of carbon emissions, removing 6 million tons of carbon from the annual emissions stream, or the equivalent of removing a million cars off the road. Because of the pre-existing air separation unit and associated infrastructure, the procedure will also be very cost effective.

Because too many batteries are required, battery-stored power will not work effectively for energy-intensive applications such as airplanes, truckers, the cement industry, and shipping containers.

Clean hydrogen can assist these businesses in decarbonizing, but the cost of “green” hydrogen produced purely through renewables is now prohibitively expensive. It will most likely take years before it is ready for broad use.

Meanwhile, blue hydrogen provides a faster and more cost-effective option to begin reducing carbon emissions. And the essential hydrogen infrastructure can be constructed alongside it in cost-effective ways, which is critical if the goal is to make a speedy transition.

Using low-cost, clean, blue hydrogen sooner rather than later, according to Hopkins, will also encourage innovation, ultimately leading to a brighter future for all.