Green hydrogen is the expression of the day for marketing in favor of carbon neutrality. François Legault wants to dedicate a crown corporation to it. Dominique Anglade, the liberal leader, promises to nationalize the product. From all sides, we are told that we must not miss the boat. Without immediate action, Germany, Australia, Alberta and many other regions and countries of the world will beat us the pawn.
It deserves a parenthesis and some clarification. The potential hydrogen cake has generated periodic enthusiasm in Quebec since the founding of the Ministry of Energy in 1976. Research axes in the development of fuel cells and storage at the National Research Institute scientist (INRS) and at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières are part of the fallout from the craze for this small molecule. What more can we do?
One, who can produce green hydrogen in large quantities? Certainly not the countries which are struggling to convert their electricity production to renewable energies. At best, they will produce blue hydrogen from natural gas reforming and CO storage.2 resulting. As soon as the green hydrogen market dethrones that of blue, due to climate change, Quebec will have a shameless advantage in at least three areas: its electricity network based on renewable resources, accessible maritime transport and demand for electricity. industrial sector.
Two, can we transport and distribute hydrogen everywhere on the planet like oil? The small hydrogen molecule has the great flaw that it diffuses quickly through basic materials. Without tanks made of complex and expensive composites, it is impossible to prevent it from escaping. In a vehicle, relatively tight tanks exist. But for the transport and distribution of hydrogen, it is a whole different matter. For example, a steel pipeline is a real strainer for hydrogen.
In short, the mass hydrogen market is a local market, and not an international one. That said, we must encourage Énergir’s proposal to inject hydrogen into its distribution network, which would make it possible to increase the share of hydrogen in the overall energy balance.
Three, what market does Quebec want to develop: that of production, that of fuel cells or that of fuel replacement in heavy industry? For production, no worries, Quebec will always have a place because of its renewable energy potential.
The market for fuel cells for vehicles is not yet well defined. The vehicle with accumulator is by far preferable, because it uses electricity directly with losses not exceeding 10%. For a vehicle equipped with fuel cells, the losses can be six to seven times greater because of the steps of production, compression, distribution or conversion into electricity by the cells.
In fact, the strategic interest of hydrogen in terms of carbon neutrality begins with high temperature heating and ore reduction in heavy industry, that is to say the elimination of oxygen. before processing. If Quebec wants to help humanity and help itself, it must support research and demonstration of new processes based on the use of green hydrogen. As was done in the 1960s and 1970s by developing electric steelmaking and plasma torches, a winning strategy would be to demonstrate that a cement plant or iron ore reduction can be carbon neutral.
In other words, research support offers better guarantees of benefits than any state structure that wants to encourage the production of a simple energy vector. As such, why not nationalize the aluminum industry?