Introduction to the Hydrogen Economy

Colours of hydrogen production

grey = natural gas vis steam methane reforming; blue = grey + CCS; pink = nuclear via elecctrolysis; green = renewables via electrolysis

Steam methane reforming

high T steam reacts with natural gas (methane) at 3-25 bar with a catalyst to form H2, CO product further reacts with water to produce H2; CCS makes it blue but is costly; Pros: cheap, mature, scale; Cons: fossil fuels, produces CO2

Electrolysis

electrochemically split water in hydrogen and oxygen; Pros: low/no carbon, uses excess electricity; Cons: expensive, lack of scale (but is mature)

Nuclear hydrogen

Pros: reliable, abundant base load, no emissions; Cons: expensive to build and decommission, nuclear waste, safety concerns (poor public opinion)