In addition to electromobility, the USA is primarily relying on hydrogen to enable CO2-neutral passenger transport. However, according to a recent study, blue hydrogen, the development of which is funded by the Bidens government, turns out to be a possible climate offender.
There has been a scientific struggle for years about the role of hydrogen as a possible climate-friendly fuel. After the joint appearance of CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the debate recently picked up again in Germany.
US President Biden is also considered a supporter of the energy source. In its infrastructure plan, which was passed by the Senate last Tuesday with non-partisan support, eight billion US dollars are made available for the development of clean hydrogen. The aim is to create a climate-neutral fuel for shipping, the automotive industry and heating homes.
A study by the two scientists Robert Howarth and Mark Jacobsen now reports corrected doubts about these plans. Their analysis comes to the conclusion that “blue hydrogen”, which meets all the criteria for the fuels promoted by Biden, could be more harmful to the environment than diesel and coal.
Is hydrogen just a “sham solution”?
Blue hydrogen is created by splitting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The environmentally harmful CO2 is then captured and stored so that it does not get into the atmosphere. However, the scientists found that this process consumes a great deal of energy and that considerable amounts of the powerful greenhouse gas methane are released. In addition, some of the CO2 produced would escape in any case.
The researchers from Cornell and Stanford come to the conclusion that the production of blue hydrogen emits around 20 percent more greenhouse gases than burning coal. Compared to diesel fuel, the development of blue hydrogen would even release 60 percent more greenhouse gases.
Howarth and Jacobsen themselves were surprised by the results of their analysis. Regardless of this, it is not recommended to spend the funds of the infrastructure package on such “fake solutions”, “says Howarth.” Blue hydrogen is a nice marketing term that the oil and gas industry uses to advertise, but it is far from being CO2- free.”
Oil companies defend blue hydrogen
The organization “Hydrogen Council” (Hydrogen Council) holds against the results of the study. The association, which includes the large oil companies BP, Total and Shell, has declared in the past that hydrogen should be a cornerstone of the energy transition by replacing traditional fuels.
The Hydrogen Council assumes that hydrogen could cover 18 percent of the total energy demand by half of the century. It is unclear whether this is what is known as “green hydrogen”, which is only produced with renewable energies and by splitting water. In the plans of the Biden government, this option has not yet played a specified role.
Environmental organizations are concerned
The imprecise formulation in Biden’s law could have serious consequences, fears Carroll Muffett of the Center for International Environmental Law. “The large amount of money that is supposed to flow now is not compatible with serious climate policy.” Muffett believes that in its quest for political success, Congress ignored the real impact on global warming. “The potential of hydrogen is regularly overestimated, although the positive effects on the climate are repeatedly refuted.”
After the Senate has already passed the infrastructure package in its current form, the 435 members of the House of Representatives now decide. Success in the democratically dominated chamber is considered certain.
You can see in the video: Deutsche Post wants to get closer to its long-term goal of emission-free operation by 2050. The freight subsidiary DHL Express has ordered twelve “Alice” electric aircraft from the manufacturer Eviation, according to the Bonn-based company.
Swell:,
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