Green Hydrogen Could Power Your Life Sooner Than You Realize - These Companies Are Making It Happen
Forbes・18 minutes read
Companies like Plug Power are driving the adoption of green hydrogen as a clean energy solution, particularly in niche markets like material handling with forklift trucks. The key to wider hydrogen use lies in reducing production costs through renewable energy sources and improving infrastructure to make fuel cell electric vehicles more competitive.
Insights
- Green hydrogen, produced with zero carbon inputs and emitting only oxygen, is gaining traction as a promising solution for combating climate change, with significant interest from companies worldwide.
- Plug Power, a key player in hydrogen technology, focuses on manufacturing fuel cells and electrolyzers for hydrogen production, primarily supplying hydrogen for material handling, such as forklifts, and is actively involved in advancing the use of hydrogen in various industries, including transportation.
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Recent questions
What is green hydrogen?
Clean hydrogen produced with zero carbon inputs.
How does an electrolyzer produce hydrogen?
By splitting water with electricity.
What is the role of Plug Power in hydrogen production?
Manufacturing fuel cells and electrolyzers.
What are the challenges to hydrogen adoption?
Infrastructure availability and cost.
How does green hydrogen contribute to combating climate change?
Emitting only oxygen during production.
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Summary
00:00
Hydrogen: Clean Energy Solution for Climate Change
- Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but using it as clean energy has been challenging for the past 30 years.
- Companies worldwide are working on making hydrogen accessible for various uses like fuel cells and stationary energy sources.
- Green hydrogen, produced with zero carbon inputs and emitting only oxygen, is gaining excitement as a potential solution against climate change.
- Plug Power in Rochester, New York, is a key player in manufacturing fuel cells and electrolyzers for hydrogen production.
- A 1 megawatt electrolyzer at Plug Power can produce 420 kg of hydrogen by splitting water with electricity.
- The hydrogen from the electrolyzer powers vehicles and generates electricity through fuel cells.
- Plug Power primarily supplies hydrogen for material handling, with 65,000 forklifts at major companies like Amazon using their hydrogen.
- The hydrogen for forklifts comes out as gas at 350 bar or 5,000 PSI, providing 8 hours of operation.
- Cummins, a diesel engine maker, is also investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology through its clean tech division, Accelera.
- Accelera is involved in developing high-powered fuel cell systems for commercial vehicles like Class 8 semi trucks and hydrogen-powered trains.
15:38
Hydrogen's Cost Reduction Key for Wider Use
- Hydrogen's wider use as an energy source hinges on cost reduction, with initial success seen in niche markets like forklift trucks due to high-pressure and pure hydrogen requirements for fuel cells.
- Decreasing costs of renewable energy, like solar at 2 cents per kilowatt hour, are driving down hydrogen production costs, aiming to reach under $2 per kilogram, with a Department of Energy goal of $1 for competitiveness.
- Challenges to hydrogen adoption include infrastructure availability and cost, with ongoing efforts to lower material expenses for fuel cells to make fuel cell electric vehicles more cost-effective and competitive with diesel and battery electric options.
