Methods of Hydrogen Production
Dr. Adnan Daud Khan
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Methods of Hydrogen production
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Grey Hydrogen
• Grey hydrogen is currently the most common, and the cheapest, form
of hydrogen production.
• It is used as a fuel and doesn’t generate greenhouse gas emissions
itself, but its production process does.
• Grey hydrogen is created from natural gas using steam reforming,
which separates the hydrogen from the natural gas.
• However, the technologies used don’t capture the carbon emissions
created during the process, which are instead released into the
atmosphere.
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Impurities in Natural Gas
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): CO2 is often found in natural gas and needs to be removed before
the gas can be used. High levels of CO2 can reduce the heating value of natural gas and
can cause corrosion in pipelines and equipment.
• Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S): H2S is a toxic and corrosive gas that can be found in natural gas.
It needs to be removed for safety reasons and to prevent corrosion.
• Water Vapor (H2O): Natural gas can contain water vapor, which needs to be removed to
prevent the formation of hydrates (ice-like solids) that can block pipelines.
• Nitrogen (N2): Nitrogen can be present in natural gas, especially in gas fields where it is
naturally occurring. It is often removed to increase the heating value of the gas.
• Oxygen (O2): Oxygen can enter natural gas during production or processing and needs to
be removed to prevent corrosion and combustion issues.
• Other Trace Gases: Natural gas can contain trace amounts of other gases, such as
helium, argon, and trace hydrocarbons, which are usually removed to meet purity
specifications.
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Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) for
Hydrogen Production (1/2)
• Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) is a widely used industrial process for
producing hydrogen gas (H2) from methane (CH4) and steam (H2O). It is the most
common method for large-scale hydrogen production, accounting for about 95%
of the hydrogen produced in the United States.
• Preparation of Natural Gas: Natural gas is first purified to remove sulfur
compounds and other impurities that could deactivate the catalyst used in the
reforming process.
• Steam Reforming: Natural gas (primarily methane, CH4) is mixed with steam
(H2O) and passed over a catalyst, usually a nickel or ruthenium (Ru) based
catalyst, at high temperatures (700-1100°C) and moderate pressures (20-30 bar).
The methane reacts with steam in an endothermic reaction to produce hydrogen,
carbon monoxide (CO), and a small amount of carbon dioxide (CO2):
CH4 + H2O -> CO + 3H2
• This reaction is favored at higher temperatures and lower pressures.
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Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) for
Hydrogen Production (2/2)
• Water-Gas Shift Reaction: The produced CO from the reforming step is
reacted with steam in the presence of a catalyst to further convert it to CO2
and more hydrogen:
CO + H2O -> CO2 + H2
• This reaction is exothermic and helps increase the hydrogen yield.
• CO2 Removal: The hydrogen-rich gas stream is then typically passed
through a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit or another purification
system to remove the remaining CO2 and other impurities.
• Final Purification: The hydrogen is further purified to remove any
remaining impurities, such as CO, before it can be used in various
applications.
• Compression and Storage: The purified hydrogen is compressed to the
desired pressure for storage and transportation.
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How much Hydrogen can be produced from SMR? (1/2)
• The actual efficiency of a Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) plant and
the additional processing steps involved in purification and separation
can significantly affect the amount of hydrogen that can be produced.
• SMR typically has an efficiency ranging from 60% to 80%. Let’s
assume an average efficiency of 70%.
• After SMR, the hydrogen-rich gas stream undergoes purification and
separation steps to remove impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO),
carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor.
• The efficiency of these purification and separation processes can vary
but is typically high, often exceeding 90%.
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How much Hydrogen can be produced from SMR? (1/2)
• Now we can estimate the overall efficiency of hydrogen production from
SMR, including purification and separation:
• Overall Efficiency = Efficiency of SMR x Efficiency of Purification and
Separation
Overall Efficiency = 0.70 x 0.90 = 0.63
• This means that approximately 63% of the hydrogen content in the natural
gas feedstock can be recovered as purified hydrogen.
• Now, let’s consider If we have 1,000 kilograms (1 metric ton) of methane
feedstock and apply the overall efficiency of 63%, we can calculate the
potential hydrogen production as follows:
• Potential Hydrogen Production = Methane Feedstock x Overall Efficiency
• Potential Hydrogen Production = 1,000 kg x 0.63 = 630 kg
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Blue Hydrogen
• Blue hydrogen is also extracted using the steam reforming process,
but it differs from grey as the carbon emissions released are captured
and stored, which reduces the emissions in the atmosphere, but
doesn’t eliminate them.
• Blue hydrogen is sometimes called ‘low-carbon hydrogen’ as the
production process doesn’t avoid the creation of greenhouse gases,
just stores them away.
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Steam Reforming with Carbon Capture (1/3)
• Natural Gas Purification: Natural gas (typically methane) is purified to
remove impurities such as sulfur compounds, water, and other
contaminants.
• Steam Methane Reforming (SMR): The purified natural gas is mixed
with steam and fed into a reformer, where it undergoes a catalytic
reaction at high temperatures (700-1000°C) and pressures (20-30 bar)
to produce hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) according to the
following reaction:
CH4 + H2O -> CO + 3H2
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Steam Reforming with Carbon Capture (2/3)
• Water-Gas Shift Reaction (WGS): The CO produced in the reformer is
then reacted with steam in the water-gas shift reactor to convert it to
CO2 and more hydrogen:
CO + H2O -> CO2 + H2
• Carbon Capture: The CO2 produced in the reforming and water-gas
shift steps is separated from the hydrogen and other gases using
carbon capture technology. This can be done using absorption,
adsorption, or membrane separation processes.
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Carbon Capturing Techniques
• Absorption:
• In absorption, CO2 is absorbed into a solvent.
• The absorbent typically has a high affinity for CO2, allowing it to selectively capture the
CO2 molecules.
• Adsorption:
• Adsorption involves the attachment of CO2 molecules onto the surface of a solid
adsorbent material.
• Adsorption involves the physical or chemical bonding of CO2 molecules onto a solid
material.
• The adsorbent material has a high surface area and specific chemical properties that
make it attractive for CO2 capture.
• Membrane Separation:
• Membrane separation involves the use of semi-permeable membranes to selectively
separate CO2 from other gases based on differences in their permeability.
• The membranes allow the special transport of CO2 molecules while blocking other gases
such as nitrogen and methane.
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Steam Reforming with Carbon Capture (3/3)
• CO2 Compression: The captured CO2 is compressed to a high pressure for
transportation and storage.
• CO2 Transport: The compressed CO2 is transported via pipeline or other
means to a suitable storage site. Alternatively, it can be utilized in various
industrial processes, such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR), chemical
production, or the manufacture of building materials.
• Hydrogen Purification: The hydrogen produced in the reforming process is
further purified to remove any remaining impurities, such as CO, CO2, and
water vapor, to meet the required purity standards.
• Product Distribution: The purified hydrogen is then distributed for various
industrial applications, such as refining, ammonia production, and
transportation.
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Green Hydrogen
• Green hydrogen doesn’t generate any
emissions in its entire life cycle as it uses
renewable energies in the production process,
making it a true source of clean energy.
• It is made by electrolyzing water using clean
electricity created from surplus renewable
energy from wind and solar power.
• The process causes a reaction that splits water
into its components of hydrogen and oxygen
(the H and O in H2O).
• This results in no carbon emissions being
released in the process.
• It is a great alternative to grey and blue, but
for now the main challenge is in reducing the
production costs of green hydrogen to make it
a truly obtainable renewable and
environmentally friendly alternative.
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (1/6)
• Renewable Energy Capacity: The capacity of renewable energy sources
such as wind and solar power determines the amount of electricity
available for electrolysis. For example, if you have a wind farm with a
capacity of 0.7 megawatts (MW) and a solar farm with a capacity of 0.3
MW, the total renewable energy capacity would be 1 MW.
• Electrolysis Efficiency: Electrolysis efficiency refers to the efficiency with
which electrical energy is converted into hydrogen gas. The efficiency can
vary depending on the type of electrolyzer (e.g., alkaline, PEM) and
operating conditions. Typical electrolysis efficiencies range from 60% to
80%.
• Operating Hours: The availability of renewable energy sources fluctuates
depending on weather conditions and time of day. The operating hours of
electrolyzers will depend on the availability of renewable electricity.
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (2/6)
• Available renewable energy: Renewable energy source capacity: 1 MW
Hours of operation per day: 24 hours (assuming continuous operation)
• Total energy available per day = 1 MW x 24 hours = 24 megawatt-hours
(MWh)
• Hydrogen production from electrolysis: Efficiency of electrolysis: 70%
• Total hydrogen produced per day = Total energy available x Efficiency = 24
MWh x 70% ≈ 16.8 MWh
• To convert this energy into hydrogen, we need to consider the energy
content of hydrogen, which is approximately 33.33 kWh/kg.
• Total green hydrogen produced per day = Total energy available / Energy
content of hydrogen = 16.8 MWh / 33.33 kWh/kg ≈ 504 kg/day
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (3/6)
• In scenarios where renewable energy systems have variable output
due to factors like wind fluctuation and solar energy availability, the
total output available for hydrogen production will depend on the
actual energy generated over time.
• To estimate the hydrogen production, we need to consider the
average capacity factor of each energy source and their combined
output.
• The capacity factor of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system represents the
ratio of the actual energy output of the solar PV system to the
maximum energy output it could produce if it were operating at its
rated capacity 100% of the time.
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (4/6)
• Let’s assume typical capacity factors for wind and solar energy:
• Wind energy: A capacity factor of around 30% to 40% is common for onshore
wind farms.
• Solar energy: A capacity factor of around 15% to 25% is typical for solar
photovoltaic (PV) systems, depending on location and system design.
• Given the capacities of the wind farm (0.7 MW) and solar PV (0.3 MW), and
considering their respective capacity factors, we can estimate the average
output over time:
• Average wind energy output = Wind capacity x Capacity factor = 0.7 MW x 35%
= 0.245 MW
• Average solar energy output = Solar capacity x Capacity factor = 0.3 MW x 20%
= 0.06 MW
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (5/6)
• Now, we need to consider the combined output of wind and solar energy
over a specific period (e.g., a day) to determine the total energy available
for hydrogen production. Let’s assume a 24-hour period:
• Total energy available for hydrogen production = Total wind energy output
+ Total solar energy output = (0.245 MW + 0.06 MW) x 24 hours = 6.84
MWh
• To convert this energy into hydrogen, we need to consider the efficiency of
the electrolysis process. Let’s assume an efficiency of 70% for the
electrolyzer.
• Total green hydrogen produced = Total energy available x Electrolysis
efficiency = 6.84 MWh x 70% ≈ 4.788 MWh
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How much green hydrogen can be produced
from renewable energies? (6/6)
• Now, to convert this energy into hydrogen, we need to consider the
energy content of hydrogen, which is approximately 33.33 kWh/kg:
• Total green hydrogen produced ≈ 4.788 MWh / 33.33 kWh/kg ≈
143.64 kg
• So, in this scenario, approximately 143.64 kilograms of green
hydrogen could be produced over a 24-hour period using the
combined output of a wind farm and solar PV system.
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Black and Brown Hydrogen (1/2)
• Black Hydrogen:
• Black hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from coal gasification. Coal
gasification involves the reaction of coal with oxygen and steam at high
temperatures to produce a mixture of gases, including hydrogen, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. This gas mixture is known as
syngas.
• The syngas can then be processed further to separate and purify the
hydrogen, which can be used in various applications.
• Coal gasification can offer an alternative pathway to produce hydrogen, but
it typically involves higher emissions of carbon dioxide compared to other
methods like steam methane reforming (SMR) or electrolysis, unless
carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are employed.
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Black and Brown Hydrogen (2/2)
• Brown Hydrogen:
• Brown hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from lignite gasification.
Lignite, also known as brown coal, is a type of coal with lower energy
content and higher moisture content compared to higher-grade coals like
bituminous or anthracite coal.
• Lignite gasification follows a similar process to coal gasification, where the
lignite is reacted with oxygen and steam to produce syngas, which contains
hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other gases.
• Similar to coal gasification, brown hydrogen production from lignite
gasification can result in higher CO2 emissions unless coupled with carbon
capture and storage (CCS) technologies.
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Pink Hydrogen
• Pink hydrogen is extracted through electrolysis powered by nuclear
energy. You may hear pink hydrogen also referred to as purple or red
hydrogen.
• The idea behind pink hydrogen is to utilize nuclear power, particularly
fusion reactors, to generate the electricity needed for electrolysis,
which splits water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2).
• Pink hydrogen represents a potential pathway toward achieving low-
carbon or even carbon-free hydrogen production, as nuclear energy
does not produce direct greenhouse gas emissions during operation.
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Turquoise hydrogen (1/4)
• Turquoise hydrogen is very new and is still in the process of
discovering if it can be used well at a large scale.
• Turquoise hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced through a process
called methane pyrolysis, also known as methane cracking or
methane decomposition.
• This process involves breaking down methane (CH₄), the primary
component of natural gas, into its constituent elements: hydrogen
(H₂) and solid carbon (C).
• The term "turquoise" is often used to highlight the environmental
benefits of this process, as it implies a cleaner form of hydrogen
production compared to conventional methods.
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Turquoise hydrogen (2/4)
• Methane pyrolysis typically occurs at high temperatures (around
1000-1200°C) in the absence of oxygen. The process can be
represented by the following chemical equation:
CH₄ (methane) → H₂ (hydrogen) + C (carbon)
• The solid carbon produced can potentially be captured and utilized in
various applications, such as carbon-based materials or stored
underground to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
• Therefore, turquoise hydrogen produced through methane pyrolysis
is considered a promising pathway for decarbonizing the hydrogen
production process.
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Turquoise hydrogen (3/4)
• This method offers several advantages, including:
• Reduced carbon emissions: Since the carbon is captured as a solid
product rather than released as CO₂, this process can significantly
reduce the carbon footprint associated with hydrogen production.
• High purity hydrogen: The hydrogen produced through methane
pyrolysis tends to be of high purity, which is desirable for many
industrial and energy applications.
• Potential for carbon utilization: the solid carbon byproduct can
potentially be utilized in various industrial applications or stored
underground to prevent it from entering the atmosphere and
contributing to climate change.
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Turquoise hydrogen (4/4)
• Turquoise hydrogen falls between "blue hydrogen," which is produced
from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies,
and "green hydrogen," which is produced using renewable energy
sources through electrolysis of water.
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Industrial applications of solid carbon byproduct
generated from methane pyrolysis (1/2)
• The solid carbon byproduct generated from methane pyrolysis, often referred to
as carbon black or simply pyrolytic carbon, has various potential industrial
applications.
• Reinforcing Filler: Carbon black is commonly used as a reinforcing filler in rubber
products such as tires, conveyor belts, and hoses. It enhances the mechanical
properties and durability of these materials.
• Battery Electrodes: Pyrolytic carbon can be utilized in battery electrodes,
particularly in lithium-ion batteries, to improve conductivity and stability.
• Carbon Materials: The solid carbon can be further processed into various forms
of carbon materials such as activated carbon, carbon fibers, and carbon
nanotubes, which have applications in energy storage, filtration, and composite
materials.
• Catalyst Support: Carbon black can serve as a support material for catalysts used
in chemical processes, fuel cells, and environmental applications.
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Industrial applications of solid carbon byproduct
generated from methane pyrolysis (2/2)
• Pigments: Inks, paints, and coatings may utilize carbon black as a
pigment for achieving specific colors and properties.
• Construction Materials: Carbon black can be incorporated into
construction materials like concrete and asphalt to enhance their
strength and durability.
• Water Treatment: Activated carbon derived from pyrolytic carbon can
be used in water treatment processes to remove impurities and
contaminants.
• Electronics: Carbon materials derived from pyrolytic carbon can find
applications in electronics, such as in conductive inks, printed circuit
boards, and electromagnetic interference shielding.
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Yellow Hydrogen
• Yellow hydrogen, also known as “solar hydrogen”, is produced
through a process called electrolysis, specifically utilizing solar power
as the energy source.
• This is similar to the process used to create green hydrogen, but with
a sunnier name, to split water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and
oxygen (O2) without emitting greenhouse gases.
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White Hydrogen
• White hydrogen is found naturally in underground deposits of
geological hydrogen.
• It is extracted through a process called fracking, which is the process
of drilling into the earth and directing a high-pressure mix of water,
sand, and chemicals at the rock to release the gas inside.
• At the moment there are no plans to use this type of hydrogen as an
energy source.
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