Hydrogen, often hailed as the major enabler in reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector, is gaining significant attention for its potential to replace fossil fuels and minimize environmental impact.
As the world’s transport sector alone consumes nearly 10 billion liters of oil per day, resulting in approximately 7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the urgent need for alternative fuels becomes evident. While batteries have proven effective for passenger cars and short-haul transportation, hydrogen-based fuels offer promising solutions for various sectors, and the groundwork for their implementation is already underway.
Mikael Nordlander, Director of Industry Decarbonisation at Vattenfall, emphasizes that hydrogen serves as an excellent alternative when direct electrification is challenging, especially in cases that require large and heavy batteries. Hydrogen can be utilized either as a fuel itself or as a precursor for other fossil-free fuels. Nordlander has been at the forefront of hydrogen development, particularly in industrial processes, with projects like HYBRIT in northern Sweden that aims to produce fossil-free steel.
One prominent endeavor in sustainable fuel production revolves around the manufacturing of electrofuels using hydrogen derived from offshore wind power and non-fossil carbon dioxide captured from industries like forestry. Companies like St1 and Preem on the Swedish west coast are planning to produce over one million cubic meters of electrofuel annually, primarily for the aviation industry. The requirements for sustainable fuel blending in aviation are becoming stricter each year, making the production of electrofuels crucial. Vattenfall is involved in the HySkies project, collaborating with Shell, SAS, and others, to develop sustainable aviation fuel.
Hydrogen’s versatility as a vehicle power source is apparent in its ability to be used directly as fuel in an engine or to generate electricity in a fuel cell. However, predicting which technology will dominate various transport sectors in the future remains uncertain. Mikael Nordlander acknowledges the growing trend toward sustainable electrofuels in aviation, where blending requirements are expected to increase. Although projects exploring hydrogen as a direct fuel are underway, the challenge of long-haul flights still necessitates hydrocarbon-based fuels. For maritime transport, methanol produced through the electrofuel method appears to be the leading competitor, with ammonia as a potential alternative. In heavy road transport, fuel cells and pure hydrogen may gain greater traction, particularly if the industry embraces hydrogen in their processes, thereby making it readily available for transportation.
Hydrogen, abundant throughout the universe, offers a pathway to replace fossil fuels in various industrial processes, materials, and products, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions. While hydrogen production and utilization are gaining momentum, it is only now that significant progress is being made in this field.
Cecilia Wallmark, Operations Manager for the Centre for Hydrogen Energy Systems Sweden at Luleå University of Technology, notes that the shift away from fossil fuels has been hindered by their historical affordability, accessibility, and the established infrastructure built around them. However, with the growing political support and commitment to combat climate change, along with a willingness to invest in alternative solutions, hydrogen is emerging as a promising contender.
As the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions intensifies, hydrogen is positioned as a crucial element in driving the transition to a carbon-neutral future. With its abundance and potential to power a wide range of industries, hydrogen holds the key to reducing carbon emissions and charting a more sustainable path for transportation and beyond.
