The green hydrogen rush is intensifying. Dozens of companies are knocking on the door of governments to praise the merits of their technologies, obtain financial assistance and position themselves in a sector that is promising to say the least in the fight against climate change.
A glance at the registers of lobbyists makes it possible to see it : hydrogen is popular. The duty has identified some thirty companies listed on the Canadian register. It ranges from producers and technology companies to mining and oil companies — like ConocoPhillips and Shell — that want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Similar observation in Quebec, where the number of registrations has jumped in two years. The industry is preparing for the development of the sector. A few weeks away of the unveiling of the Quebec strategy on hydrogen, more than ten companies are registered there.
Interest in the molecule is not new. The energy vector has been the dream of industrialists for decades. “I have lived through two or three waves of interest in hydrogen since the start of my career, but this is very different,” observes Pierre Bénard, director of the Institute for Research on Hydrogen. hydrogen from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières.
From Professor Bénard’s perspective, a “first wave” of interest in hydrogen was sparked by the oil crisis of the 1970s, when the West was seeking to increase its energy independence. A “second wave” was felt in the 1990s, when there were fears of depleting oil resources.
For about five years, a “third wave” has been surging. Technologies associated with hydrogen have been progressing for decades, “but there, many things have converged at the same time”, notes Mr. Bénard. For example, fuel cells and electrolyzers have greatly improved; the price of intermittent renewable energies, such as solar and wind, has “literally melted”.
The production of green hydrogen nevertheless remains, in fact, marginal. Globally, 1.2 million metric tons of green hydrogen would have been produced between 2015 and 2018. This is ten times less than the annual production of hydrogen from fossil fuels.
Transport the molecule
Many reports predict constant growth by 2030. Growth, certainly, but limited by the capacities of electrolysers currently in service, which oscillate between 50 and 100 MW, well below the gray hydrogen plants. Moreover, the construction of transport infrastructure — pipelines and export and import terminals — will have to keep pace with production. Which is not yet the case.
Canadian natural gas distributors are nevertheless hard at work to be able to transport the molecule. Enbridge is piloting a hydrogen injection project in part of its network in the suburbs of Toronto. The Calgary company ATCO plans to inject it into its natural gas network in a residential area of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.
In Quebec, Gazifère announced in 2021 its intention to produce hydrogen and introduce it into its network in Outaouais. For its part, Énergir has been conducting tests since this fall to find out the effects of the molecule – smaller than that of natural gas – on its infrastructures and materials. It injects small quantities of hydrogen in the form of a mixture with natural gas in two closed circuits.
“We have a step-by-step approach,” explains Olivier Pineau, Director of Engineering and Asset Management at Énergir. “At first, we are in the distribution networks, so networks close to the points of consumption. These are subsequent studies that will be able to confirm or invalidate the possibility of injecting it into transport networks that operate at higher pressure. »
If the tests are conclusive, the former Gaz Métro does not rule out the possibility of creating “industrial or residential clusters” which could be powered by green hydrogen. “Could there be links to connect different clusters and design and build a bit more infrastructure to create this notion of a network? It’s all about cost and materials, but yes, it could be done,” he says.
In the long term, Énergir could even explore transportation by truck or boat, says Vincent Regnault, executive director of gas supply and renewable gas development at Énergir. “It’s part of a more distant reality for the moment, but in a much broader reflection, we think about it, indeed. »
Since Énergir’s network does not serve the entire province, “we will have to think about other ways to conduct hydrogen, if hydrogen plays an important role in decarbonization”, adds -he.
Clean electricity, a limited resource
However, the main obstacle to the growth of the sector could come from the supply of clean and affordable electricity from Hydro-Québec. Quebec electricity production will not be able to meet peak demand from 2027, according to Hydro-Québec estimates. Additionally, 100 TWh of capacity will need to be added to the grid by 2050 if the province is to achieve its carbon neutral goal, which is half of current capacity.
“In a context where we are going to run out of electricity, it is absolutely necessary to keep this element in mind,” recalls Philippe Dunsky, president of Dunsky Énergie + Climat, a consulting firm specializing in energy. “Producing green hydrogen is actually losing three quarters of the electricity. The question we must ask ourselves is: what place do we want to give to the production of hydrogen? he adds.
The future role of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives will depend on how quickly and to what extent production technology improves.
According to a study by Dunsky, 15 TWh of electricity would be needed for green hydrogen to come to represent 2.5% of Quebec’s energy needs. “This is the equivalent of what approximately four million electric vehicles would consume or what more than 800,000 Quebec households currently consume,” he points out.
In his Hydrogen strategy, Canada argues that the molecule could represent up to 30% of the country’s energy demand. “It would take 1375 TWh per year of electricity. This is more than twice the current production of electricity in Canada and approximately seven times the current production of Hydro-Québec,” notes Mr. Dunsky.
The specialist does not doubt the importance of the role of green hydrogen in the decarbonization of societies. You still have to use it wisely. “The first step should be to use green hydrogen to replace gray hydrogen”, according to the specialist. More or less 90 million tons of gray hydrogen are currently produced annually from fossil fuels.
This position is consistent with that described in the Group’s most recent report of intergovernmental experts onclimate change (IPCC). “The future role of hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives will depend on how quickly and to what extent production technology improves,” it reads. The IPCC clearly states that “it is more efficient to use electricity directly”, to avoid losses during the conversion phase. Hydrogen should only be used in sectors that renewable electricity cannot power.
With Alexis Riopel