Renewable hydrogen is seen as a true alternative to fuel

NextEra Energy plans to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, saying it can do so without the use of compensation from renewable hydrogen.

Juno Beach, Florida, wants to convert more than two-thirds of its natural gas-fired power plants to hydrogen. It is touted as “one of the biggest bets on making hydrogen a central part of the energy landscape”. a recent Bloomberg article.

“In my opinion, when NextEra takes a step, you want to pay attention,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO of Bakken Energy. “Usually it’s very indicative of where we are in hydrogen space. It could be a really good use of hydrogen as a means of decarbonisation, and I think it’s just another big step in this evolution of the pure hydrogen market and trucking. ”

This hydrogen or “fuel” will be produced using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, using devices known as electrolyzers. Hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide during combustion, which is the biggest reason for this switch.

NextEra’s future goal is to use its technology to produce green hydrogen in the hope that it will be used in other industries, including transportation.

While there are fears that this will slow adoption on the transport side due to rising demand for the power plant, Hopkins believes it will do the opposite, but instead accelerate and make the adoption of the practice in other areas even easier.

“As for decarbonisation in trucking, due to limited capacity compared to electricity generation, it is a high value proposition for the trucking industry,” Hopkins said.

But despite these goals, there are problems. Similar to those related to electric vehicles (EVs), the biggest challenges include technology and infrastructure, as well as funding for these items.

The process of transporting hydrogen is dangerous and will require a thorough inspection of the pipelines to make sure there are no leaks, as the gas is extremely flammable.

“The more you use hydrogen, the more you will develop an infrastructure that still remains a missing link,” Hopkins said. “We know how to produce it. That’s right. More and more people are learning to consume it, but there is still a gap in the infrastructure. ”

If the infrastructure is properly funded and built, hydrogen could become a huge asset in the transportation industry in the coming years, including automotive batteries and the production of electricity and electricity for EV charging stations.

NextEra not only commits to the use of renewable hydrogen, but also participates in infrastructure plans and achieves this in the United States – both of which are absolutely necessary for the transition to renewable hydrogen.

“When they talk about wanting to participate in infrastructure, I suspect it’s because they want to move hydrogen to other markets – markets like long-distance trucking,” Hopkins said.