Sustainable energy supply; Is Hydrogen an option? Myths and facts

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Sustainable energy supply Is Hydrogen an
option?Myths and facts

• C. Daey OuwensEindhoven University of Technology

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Outline

• Some considerations about sustainability
• The energy supply (efficient use, fossil,
  renewables, nuclear)
• Hydrogen an option?
• Other choices Green liquids and gases
• VW scenario
• Conclusion

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What is sustainable development?

• A development which
• makes an economic development possible
• has hardly any environmental effects
• is socially accepted
• (optimal organizational structure)
• (cheap, clean, social acceptable)
• Process of change, needs creativity
• Many options difficult to make choices
• Central role of technology

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Considerations

• Which option is sustainable ?
• Solar cells ?
• Hydrogen in Fuel cells in cars?
• Carbon dioxide sequestration?
• Bio diesel from rape seed?
• Co-combustion of wood in coal power plants?
• Nuclear energy???
• Is sustainability possible? Yeswe can choose
  CO2 free
• Can we predict future energy supply? No

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Main lines sustainable energy

• In order of importance development over
  timeDemand side
• Energy efficiency buildings, apparatus,
  greenhouses
• Recycling of materials
• Use natural materialsSupply side
• Fossil fuels methane (Natural Gas, NG)
• Biomass green liquids, SNG, hydrogen?
• Hydro power, geothermal, wind, solar energy (PV,
  heat)?,waves, currents, etc
• Fossil fuels (coal, oil) hydrogen (CO2 storage)?
• Nuclear energy ???

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Hydrogen an option?

• Two main lines of production
• Biomass hydrogen (or green liquids or SNG)
• Fossil fuels hydrogen and CO2 storage CO2
  sequestration do we accept it?? NUMBY
• (Electrolysis too expensive)
• First conversion by gasification get syngas CO
  and H2

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Several products from syngas

• Hydrogen
• Very clean liquids Fischer-Tropsch (Shell and
  Sasol) based on coal and NG (Biomass, Germany
  and at ECN Holland)
• Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG)
• For 1 change of infrastructure
• For 2 and 3 holds only for biomass and NG (low
  emission of CO2)
• For 2 and 3 no change in infrastructure

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Hydrogen as a choice

• Hydrogen problems
• Production
• Storage
• Transport
• End-use change in infrastructure
• As a consequence expensive

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Applications Hydrogen

• Hydrogen in cars- compressed, methanol, petrol,
  liquid?- fuel cell (weight, reliability,
  cooling, use at low temperature, cost)?-
  overall efficiency (well to wheel)
• Hydrogen in Natural Gas system- mix it with
  Natural Gas (10 ?)

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Other choices

• Based on gasification
• Green diesel Fischer-Tropsch (based on biomass
  and Narural Gas (not CO2 free)
• Synthetic Natural Gas (based on biomass)
• By fermentation
• Ethanol (petrol) - from food crops (sugar beet)
  now woody materials in future

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Other choices

• Bio diesel - from rape seed- from jatropha and
  pongamia (Developing Countries)
• Gas from anaerobic digestion
• In future Solar (solar cells (PV)), Wind and.
  ????

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Conclusion

• Is the introduction of Hydrogen sustainable yet?
  (cheap, clean and social accetable) Not so sure
  change in infrastructure is expensive
• Hydrogen from coal and oil and NG do we accept
  CO2 sequestration
• Hydrogen from biomass more attractive to make
  green liquids (diesel and ethanol) and SNG
• Do we need Hydrogen for a sustainable energy
  supply?No
• Will we introduce (use) it? Maybe