Opportunities and Challenges in Converting Existing Natural Gas Infrastructure for Hydrogen Operation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Adam
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Storage Network ◽  
The World ◽  
Drive Trains ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
And Storage

Abstract Hydrogen holds enormous potential in helping the world achieve its decarbonization goals and is set to play a key role in the Energy Transition. However, two central building blocks are needed to make the hydrogen economy a reality: 1) a sufficient source of emissions-free (i.e., blue or green) hydrogen production and 2) a needs-based transportation and storage network that can reliably and cost-effectively supply hydrogen to end-users. Given the high costs associated with developing new transportation infrastructure, many governments, pipeline operators, and regulatory bodies have begun exploring if it is both possible and economical to convert existing natural gas (i.e., methane) infrastructure for hydrogen operation. This paper outlines opportunities and technical challenges associated with such an endeavor – with a particular focus on adaptation requirements for rotating equipment/compressor drive trains and metallurgical and integrity considerations for pipelines.

The Hydrogen Alternative

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 15-26
Author(s):  
Debajyoti Bose
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Free Gas ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Near Future ◽  
And Storage

Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel known to man and the most prominent alternative to carbon-based fuels, although it is not available as a free gas on earth, it can be produced from various sources using the correct combination of pressure and temperature. The deep time that our planet has given life has allowed it to grow from a tiny seed of genetic possibility to a planet wide web of complexity we are part of today, where today heating, refrigeration, telecommunication and appliances have become vital in everyday life. Production of electricity using fossil fuels has been under the scanner for quite some time now because of their availability and effects on the environment hydrogen emerges out in this scenario as the future fuel and setting the stage towards the hydrogen economy. The clean nature of hydrogen and the efficiency of fuel cells taken together offer an appealing alternative to fossil fuels. This paper reviews the existing infrastructure of hydrogen production and storage, while simultaneously explores the reason why it will be an inevitability in the near future to meet our ever increasing energy needs.

scholarly journals A Review on CO2 Capture Technologies with Focus on CO2-Enhanced Methane Recovery from Hydrates

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Salvatore F. Cannone ◽  
Andrea Lanzini ◽  
Massimo Santarelli
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Co2 Removal ◽  
Methane Recovery ◽  
The World ◽  
Co2 Transportation ◽  
And Storage

Natural gas is considered a helpful transition fuel in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of other conventional power plants burning coal or liquid fossil fuels. Natural Gas Hydrates (NGHs) constitute the largest reservoir of natural gas in the world. Methane contained within the crystalline structure can be replaced by carbon dioxide to enhance gas recovery from hydrates. This technical review presents a techno-economic analysis of the full pathway, which begins with the capture of CO2 from power and process industries and ends with its transportation to a geological sequestration site consisting of clathrate hydrates. Since extracted methane is still rich in CO2, on-site separation is required. Focus is thus placed on membrane-based gas separation technologies widely used for gas purification and CO2 removal from raw natural gas and exhaust gas. Nevertheless, the other carbon capture processes (i.e., oxy-fuel combustion, pre-combustion and post-combustion) are briefly discussed and their carbon capture costs are compared with membrane separation technology. Since a large-scale Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facility requires CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure, a technical, cost and safety assessment of CO2 transportation over long distances is carried out. Finally, this paper provides an overview of the storage solutions developed around the world, principally studying the geological NGH formation for CO2 sinks.

scholarly journals How will energy transition impact the major EU natural gas suppliers?

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-42
Author(s):  
Maria Olczak
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The World ◽  
New Challenges ◽  
Oil And Gas Companies ◽  
Carbon Gases

This paper focuses on the adaptation strategies of two major EU natural gas suppliers – Gazprom and Equinor – to new challenges imposed by the clean energy transition. Oil and gas companies around the world have already started to adjust their business strategies, inter alia, by investing in renewable energy. The recently proposed European Green Deal adds additional decarbonisation pressure to the gas sector with the increasing supply of renewable and low-carbon gases and the reduction of energy-related methane emissions.

Blue Hydrogen Economy - A New Look at an Old Idea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Ehlig-Economides ◽  
Dimitrios G. Hatzignatiou
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Hydrogen Generation ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Core Skills ◽  
Net Zero ◽  
The Cost ◽  
And Storage

Abstract Previous efforts to promote hydrogen as an energy carrier described a Utopian world in which renewable resources provided all energy for heating, electricity, transportation, and industrial needs. The elegance of this vision overlooked the cost and the footprint represented by the renewable energy resources required to generate so much electricity, and the additional cost required to employ electrolysis to generate hydrogen for energy storage not possible for electricity. Today an abundance of natural gas offers an option for hydrogen generation from methane that can include capturing and storing CO2 produced from the generation process. This results in blue hydrogen, effectively as ecologically attractive as the green hydrogen from electrolysis, and considerably less expensive. This paper evaluates a New Hydrogen Economy employing blue hydrogen as a bridge to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Of particular interest is the observation that depleted natural gas reservoirs offer pore space sufficient to store about 1.5 times the CO2 coming from hydrogen generation from the produced natural gas. The implication of this observation is that blue hydrogen generation need not rely on saline aquifer storage or on CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery. We find that blue hydrogen cost is comparable to the cost of current crude oil-based transportation fuels. Further, electricity generated using blue hydrogen is less expensive than decarbonized electricity generated from natural gas with post combustion CO2 capture and storage. The infrastructure required for this energy transition can leverage existing natural gas transport and storage and existing petroleum industry skills. Energy companies committed to net zero emissions need not rely only on renewable energy sources or nuclear power. Further, switching to blue hydrogen reduces or eliminates combustion related pollution including nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Finally, the Blue Hydrogen Economy makes efficient and cost effective use of petroleum engineering core skills, as well as the core skills championed by the petroleum industry.

scholarly journals Hydrogen production from natural gas and biomethane with carbon capture and storage – A techno-environmental analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 2967-2986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Antonini ◽  
Karin Treyer ◽  
Anne Streb ◽  
Mijndert van der Spek ◽  
Christian Bauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Environmental Analysis ◽  
Process Simulation ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
And Storage

We quantify the technical and environmental performance of clean hydrogen production (with CCS) by linking detailed process simulation with LCA.

scholarly journals Electrolysis for hydrogen production

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (09) ◽  
pp. 684-685
Author(s):  
Prachi Patel ◽  
Kathy Ayers
Keyword(s):  
Energy Storage ◽  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Heavy Burden ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Storage Technologies ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Held Back

The lightest element has carried a heavy burden for half a century. Expectations for the hydrogen economy, first proposed in the 1970s, have been high. But hydrogen as a renewable, low-carbon fuel for vehicles, heating, and energy storage has remained evasive, held back by high costs, low efficiency, and a lack of infrastructure and storage technologies.

Conversion of Natural Gas to Hydrogen under Super Adiabatic Rich Combustion

2010 ◽  
Vol 105-106 ◽  
pp. 701-705
Author(s):  
P.Y. Ma ◽  
Zhi Guo Tang ◽  
Y.L. Li ◽  
C.H. Nie ◽  
X.Z. He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Steam Reforming ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Methane Partial Oxidation ◽  
Special Method ◽  
Compact Structure ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Heat Preservation ◽  
And Storage

Interest in fuel cells in recent years has promoted the development of hydrogen sources. Methane (the main composition of natural gas) is an optimal fuel for hydrogen production due to its rich resource and its high ratio of hydrogen to carbon. In this work, several hydrogen processes, such as steam reforming of methane, partial oxidation, and auto thermal reforming, were reviewed. Different processes exhibit different importance for hydrogen production due to their diversity on usages. In this paper the special method of natural hydrogen production from natural gas with super adiabatic rich combustion is depicted in details. Some problems of this method were analyzed and discussed. In view of the existing problems, a new method was developed to be used for conversion of natural gas to hydrogen. The method can solve the problems of flame drift, heat preservation, product cooling, and low transform efficiency. Due to its simple and compact structure, it is attractive for distributing hydrogen production system and solving the transportation and storage problems of hydrogen.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document