綠色氫是一種超活躍的燃料,它可能會(huì)為世界上一些極具挑戰(zhàn)性的工業(yè)領(lǐng)域提供脫碳途徑。不過(guò),兩家支持綠色氫的歐洲工業(yè)巨頭卻表示,這種燃料如果要成為化石燃料的主流替代品,還有很長(zhǎng)的路要走。
美國(guó)近日召開(kāi)了石油和天然氣行業(yè)的盛會(huì)“劍橋能源周”(CERAWeek),法國(guó)能源公司道達(dá)爾(Total)和西班牙可再生能源公司Iberdrola的首席執(zhí)行官均在3月3日的會(huì)議上表示,各國(guó)和各公司如果想達(dá)到碳排放的目標(biāo),他們有眾多能源可選,綠色氫只是其中之一。
“這并不是非此即彼的關(guān)系。”Iberdrola公司的首席執(zhí)行官伊格納西奧·加蘭說(shuō)道?!皩?shí)現(xiàn)完全脫碳需要用上所有的技術(shù),氫是其中之一?!?/p>
道達(dá)爾的首席執(zhí)行官帕特里克·普亞尼也指出,目前全世界只生產(chǎn)了約7000萬(wàn)噸氫,其中大部分為煉油廠所用,或用于生產(chǎn)化肥。氫并非生來(lái)就是綠色的,目前幾乎所有的氫都是用化石燃料生產(chǎn)的。可再生能源生產(chǎn)的氫仍然只占總產(chǎn)量的一小部分,而且比傳統(tǒng)的氫要貴得多。普亞尼表示,如果要為氫造勢(shì),還需要大幅提升需求才行。
“制定政策的人顯然會(huì)有這樣的需求?!逼諄喣嵴f(shuō)道?!敖档统杀镜奈ㄒ环椒ā褪侵贫ㄒ恍┓浅:陚サ捻?xiàng)目,比如40年前的液化天然氣?!?/p>
兩家最支持這一燃料的公司都在歐洲投資建立了綠色氫工廠,但它們也都發(fā)出了警告。今年1月,道達(dá)爾表示將與另一家能源公司Engie合作,充分利用法國(guó)位于藍(lán)色海岸的可再生綠色氫基地,所生產(chǎn)的氫將為一家生物精煉廠所用,明年便會(huì)動(dòng)工。與此同時(shí),Iberdrola公司與西班牙合作伙伴Fertiberia宣布,計(jì)劃在2027年前投資18億歐元將綠色氫的產(chǎn)能擴(kuò)大到800兆瓦。兩家公司將在西班牙中部建立歐洲最大的工業(yè)綠色氫工廠。
作為宇宙中最豐富的元素,氫目前的發(fā)展勢(shì)頭在情理之中。氫是一種完全燃燒燃料,而且它在燃燒時(shí)只產(chǎn)生水,因此適合用于從汽車到發(fā)電廠等基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施。它還可以利用大部分現(xiàn)有的油氣基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施,并且能夠像液化天然氣一樣在世界范圍內(nèi)運(yùn)輸,因此道達(dá)爾等傳統(tǒng)油氣生產(chǎn)商可以自然地將其作為切入點(diǎn)。
但兩位高管也承認(rèn),這么做存在一些復(fù)雜的問(wèn)題。如果要產(chǎn)生氫,就必須在電解過(guò)程中使用大量的電力,然后將水分解得到氫。
生產(chǎn)無(wú)碳?xì)鋭t有以下兩種做法:一是用到氣體,然后大規(guī)模進(jìn)行碳捕獲與封存,但普亞尼指出“這可能相當(dāng)棘手”。二是以可再生電解槽為燃料,但這就需要更多的可再生能源。
“你生產(chǎn)越多的電解槽,就越需要可再生能源?!彼f(shuō)。“大家別忘了,綠色電解槽對(duì)能源的需求是可再生電力的好幾倍——數(shù)以倍計(jì)?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:秦維奇
綠色氫是一種超活躍的燃料,它可能會(huì)為世界上一些極具挑戰(zhàn)性的工業(yè)領(lǐng)域提供脫碳途徑。不過(guò),兩家支持綠色氫的歐洲工業(yè)巨頭卻表示,這種燃料如果要成為化石燃料的主流替代品,還有很長(zhǎng)的路要走。
美國(guó)近日召開(kāi)了石油和天然氣行業(yè)的盛會(huì)“劍橋能源周”(CERAWeek),法國(guó)能源公司道達(dá)爾(Total)和西班牙可再生能源公司Iberdrola的首席執(zhí)行官均在3月3日的會(huì)議上表示,各國(guó)和各公司如果想達(dá)到碳排放的目標(biāo),他們有眾多能源可選,綠色氫只是其中之一。
“這并不是非此即彼的關(guān)系?!盜berdrola公司的首席執(zhí)行官伊格納西奧·加蘭說(shuō)道?!皩?shí)現(xiàn)完全脫碳需要用上所有的技術(shù),氫是其中之一?!?/p>
道達(dá)爾的首席執(zhí)行官帕特里克·普亞尼也指出,目前全世界只生產(chǎn)了約7000萬(wàn)噸氫,其中大部分為煉油廠所用,或用于生產(chǎn)化肥。氫并非生來(lái)就是綠色的,目前幾乎所有的氫都是用化石燃料生產(chǎn)的??稍偕茉瓷a(chǎn)的氫仍然只占總產(chǎn)量的一小部分,而且比傳統(tǒng)的氫要貴得多。普亞尼表示,如果要為氫造勢(shì),還需要大幅提升需求才行。
“制定政策的人顯然會(huì)有這樣的需求?!逼諄喣嵴f(shuō)道?!敖档统杀镜奈ㄒ环椒ā褪侵贫ㄒ恍┓浅:陚サ捻?xiàng)目,比如40年前的液化天然氣?!?/p>
兩家最支持這一燃料的公司都在歐洲投資建立了綠色氫工廠,但它們也都發(fā)出了警告。今年1月,道達(dá)爾表示將與另一家能源公司Engie合作,充分利用法國(guó)位于藍(lán)色海岸的可再生綠色氫基地,所生產(chǎn)的氫將為一家生物精煉廠所用,明年便會(huì)動(dòng)工。與此同時(shí),Iberdrola公司與西班牙合作伙伴Fertiberia宣布,計(jì)劃在2027年前投資18億歐元將綠色氫的產(chǎn)能擴(kuò)大到800兆瓦。兩家公司將在西班牙中部建立歐洲最大的工業(yè)綠色氫工廠。
作為宇宙中最豐富的元素,氫目前的發(fā)展勢(shì)頭在情理之中。氫是一種完全燃燒燃料,而且它在燃燒時(shí)只產(chǎn)生水,因此適合用于從汽車到發(fā)電廠等基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施。它還可以利用大部分現(xiàn)有的油氣基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施,并且能夠像液化天然氣一樣在世界范圍內(nèi)運(yùn)輸,因此道達(dá)爾等傳統(tǒng)油氣生產(chǎn)商可以自然地將其作為切入點(diǎn)。
但兩位高管也承認(rèn),這么做存在一些復(fù)雜的問(wèn)題。如果要產(chǎn)生氫,就必須在電解過(guò)程中使用大量的電力,然后將水分解得到氫。
生產(chǎn)無(wú)碳?xì)鋭t有以下兩種做法:一是用到氣體,然后大規(guī)模進(jìn)行碳捕獲與封存,但普亞尼指出“這可能相當(dāng)棘手”。二是以可再生電解槽為燃料,但這就需要更多的可再生能源。
“你生產(chǎn)越多的電解槽,就越需要可再生能源?!彼f(shuō)?!按蠹覄e忘了,綠色電解槽對(duì)能源的需求是可再生電力的好幾倍——數(shù)以倍計(jì)?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:秦維奇
Two of Europe's largest industry backers of green hydrogen—the ultra-buzzy fuel that could provide a route for decarbonizing some of the world's most challenging industrial sectors—are warning that the fuel has a long way to go before it can become a mainstream replacement for fossil fuels.
Speaking on March 3 at CERAWeek, the U.S. oil and gas industry conference, the CEOs of French energy company Total, and Spanish renewables giant Iberdrola, said green hydrogen would have to be just one of a wide range of energy sources in order for countries and companies to hit their carbon emissions targets.
"It's not one thing or another one," said Ignacio Galán, Iberdrola's chief executive. "All technologies are needed for achieving the full decarbonization—hydrogen is one of those."
Only about 70 million metric tons of hydrogen is currently produced, noted Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of Total, the majority of it for use in refineries or to make fertilizers. Hydrogen is not inherently green—almost all of the current supplies are produced with fossil fuels. Hydrogen made with renewables is still just a tiny fraction of overall production and far more expensive than the conventional variety. Creating momentum will require a huge jump in demand, Pouyanné said.
"Obviously the demand will come from policymakers," said Pouyanné. "The only way to . . . lower the cost down, is to make very large projects. It's like LNG 40 years ago," he said, referring to liquid natural gas.
The note of caution comes from two of the fuel's largest backers. Both have invested in green hydrogen plants in Europe. In January, Total said that along with Engie it would develop France's fully renewable green hydrogen site in the C?te d'Azur—the hydrogen will fuel a biorefinery and construction will be begin next year. Meanwhile Iberdrola, along with Spanish partner, Fertiberia, says it plans to invest 1.8 billion euros by 2027, expanding capacity to 800 MW. A plant the companies are building in central Spain will be the largest industrial green hydrogen plant in Europe, Iberdrola says.
The momentum behind hydrogen—the most abundant element in the universe—makes sense. Hydrogen produces only water when it's burned, making it a clean-burning fuel option for infrastructure from cars to power plants. It can also use much of the existing oil and gas infrastructure and potentially be transferred around the world much like LNG, making it a natural entry point for legacy oil and gas producers—like Total.
But there are several complications, as both executives admitted. To create hydrogen, abundant electricity must be used for the electrolysis process, which splits water to create hydrogen.
In order to make no-carbon hydrogen, you either need to make it with gas and then find "very large" CO2 carbon capture and storage, "which might be a real tricky point," noted Pouyanné. Otherwise, the process must be fueled by renewable electrolyzers, which will require far more renewable power.
"The more you will make electrolyzers, the more you will need renewables," he said. "People forget that [a] green electrolyzer is a huge multiplier of needs for renewable electricity—a huge multiplier."