What is green hydrogen and why are we going to make and use it in Queensland?
What is hydrogen and why are we going to make and use it in Queensland?
As we move to seize the renewable energy opportunity, renewable hydrogen is going to be a key piece in Queensland’s energy and fuel puzzle.
Clean energy can create more jobs than we’ve had before, and with hydrogen projects already on the go across the state, from Gladstone to Goondiwindi, Redlands and Toowoomba, it’s a good time to understand what hydrogen is and how we’re going to use it to help us reach our ambitious target of using 50% renewable energy by 2030.
We know you’ve got lots of questions about how hydrogen can be used to make power and fuel and why we’ve chosen to invest in it. How is hydrogen created? Is hydrogen safe to use? Will using hydrogen for power and fuel help reduce carbon emissions? Will the hydrogen industry create jobs that you or your children can move into? Read on to get all your questions answered.
What is hydrogen?
Let’s start with the basics: hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, found in everything from the stars to our bodies. But even though you’re surrounded by it, you can’t really tell it’s there; hydrogen is colourless, odourless and has no taste.
When we talk about hydrogen used for generating energy, we’re referring to a molecule of two hydrogen atoms, represented by the chemical symbol H2. Most hydrogen on earth is in the form of water.
What is green hydrogen?
There are many different colours of hydrogen which relate to the emission profile of the way the hydrogen is extracted – the brighter colours, like green, have lower emissions and the gloomier colours, like grey and black, have higher emissions.
In Queensland we are focused on the production of green, or renewable hydrogen. Hydrogen generated through renewable energies like solar and wind is known as green hydrogen or renewable hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be made using fossil fuels like coal, which is called brown hydrogen, while pink hydrogen is being explored elsewhere in the world, made using nuclear power.
In Queensland, we are committed to taking advantage of our abundant renewable resources to make, use and export renewable or green hydrogen.
How is hydrogen made?
Even though it’s everywhere, hydrogen isn’t ever found by itself in nature. Instead, it’s always bonded to a different type of atom.
One of the most recognisable chemical symbols is H2O, which represents the two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom that make up water. Accessing hydrogen for energy purposes can be done by splitting the hydrogen atoms from the oxygen atom that make up water using a process call water electrolysis.
Water electrolysis is done by putting two electrically charged rods into water and adding an electrolyser to make the current flow. One rod attracts and separates the hydrogen from the water molecules, turning it into hydrogen gas, while the other attracts the oxygen.
How is hydrogen used to make energy?
Hydrogen can be burned to make energy and fuel cells can be used to create electricity from hydrogen. In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen atoms are split into protons and electrons. The electrons pass through a circuit and generate electricity and heat. Then they recombine with protons and oxygen atoms, to produce water.
Hydrogen can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity and produce heat without carbon emissions. It can also store electricity.
Where will Queensland source the energy needed to power hydrogen electrolysers?
In Queensland, we’re focusing on using renewable energies like solar and wind to power our hydrogen electrolysers. This means we can create hydrogen without creating carbon emissions in the process – the product would be green, or renewable, hydrogen.
In this way, the hydrogen effectively stores the energy from the wind or solar power. This means that excess energy from these renewable sources can be stored and used in times of high demand, and that the energy can be used to power grids at a constant rate, rather than relying on the right weather conditions.
Where will we source all the water needed to make hydrogen in Queensland?
As a necessity and sometimes a scarcity, we know Queenslanders take their water supply very seriously, and so do we.
The water needed to create hydrogen will come from a range of sources, depending on where the hydrogen is being made and how much is needed in that location. In Goondiwindi, plans are underway to use treated wastewater to make hydrogen, reflecting the Government and industry’s focus on developing a safe and sustainable hydrogen industry.
When hydrogen is used to create energy in a fuel cell, it binds with oxygen again. Water captured from this process may be available for re-use.
Why is Queensland investing in hydrogen?
A lot of countries have plans to use hydrogen, but not every country has the resources to create enough to meet their needs. Australia, particularly Queensland, is in an advantageous position, with enough natural resources to make enough hydrogen to meet both our needs and future export.
Exporting Queensland’s hydrogen will help us to scale up supply chains, keep the price of hydrogen globally competitive, and improve hydrogen technology and commercial viability through collaboration with experts around the world.
Managed well, hydrogen will play an important part in our broader clean energy future and can help us reduce our reliance on imported fuels.
Is hydrogen safe?
Hydrogen is already being used around the world safely, in industries including food, space and manufacturing. Just like fuel sources we already use, including petrol and natural gas, hydrogen needs to be handled carefully. There are existing measures and standards in place to ensure that hydrogen is safely produced, stored, transported and used.
Does hydrogen add to carbon emissions?
The only emission that comes from using hydrogen to create energy in a fuel cell is water.
The way we currently live is mostly powered by carbon-emitting fossil fuels. In order to set up the new infrastructure required to create green hydrogen, we will need to use some processes that will be powered by these fossil fuels. These steps are necessary to take us towards a future powered by renewable energy and will greatly affect our future emissions levels.
Will the hydrogen industry create more jobs for Queenslanders?
Clean energy can create more jobs than we’ve had before and unlock new economic opportunities for Queensland.
The hydrogen industry will create a lot of new jobs for Queenslanders over a number of decades, in a vast number of fields. From engineers and mechanics to people who work in logistics and administration, there will be many sustainable, high-value opportunities for Queenslanders to be part of our green energy future.
Wait, what’s the difference between hydrogen power and hydro power?
Thinking that hydrogen sounds familiar? You might be thinking of hydro power. Hydro power also uses water to create energy, but instead of splitting out the hydrogen, it harnesses the power of water pushing around a turbine to create energy.
I have more questions about hydrogen!
Do you still have unanswered questions about hydrogen in Queensland? Join the conversation on our social media channels and we’ll get you the answers.
Last updated: 14 Jun 2023