Publication
Previous studies on the use of hydrogen (H2) in the future energy system typically find a limited role for the energy carrier; however, these studies have not accounted for geologic H2 (gH2), which by some estimates may be abundantly available at low cost. Consequently, hydrogen’s role in the energy system could
Previous studies on the use of hydrogen (H2) in the future energy system typically find a limited role for the energy carrier; however, these studies have not accounted for geologic H2 (gH2), which by some estimates may be abundantly available at low cost. Consequently, hydrogen’s role in the energy system could shift from a minor contributor, deploying mostly in difficult-to-decarbonize sectors, to a much more prominent element of the global energy system. In this paper we examine the role of gH2 for global energy and industrial systems with different scenarios of future radiative forcing. We find that if favorable conditions exist, where gH2 is abundant and inexpensive ($1/kg), it could lead to expanded hydrogen deployment in a wide variety of energy applications, with power generation the most notable. However, deployment of gH2 is also found to be sensitive to its production cost, with its use declining rapidly as its production cost approaches the cost of manufactured hydrogen.
P. O’Rourke, M. Knotek, J. Edmonds, A. Fawcett, J. Fuhrman, P. Kyle, G. Iyer & O. Monteiro, Energy system implications of naturally occurring hydrogen, Environmental Research: Energy, Volume 3, Number 1, 015018