The global push to limit warming to 1.5°C, as mandated by the Paris Agreement, demands swift and decisive action to slash greenhouse gas emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores the urgency, stating that emissions must peak by 2025 and plummet by roughly 43% by 2030 to stay on course. While renewable energy has made strides in decarbonising electricity generation, it falls short in addressing the broader challenge, particularly in heavy industries. These sectors, even when powered by renewables, still emit significant CO₂ due to their reliance on fossil-based hydrogen or other carbon-intensive feedstocks. The current industrial use of hydrogen contributes 2-3% of total global carbon emissions, primarily from ‘hard-to-abate’ industries like steel production, refining, and chemical manufacturing.
Steel production, for instance, accounts for 7-9% of global industrial CO₂ emissions due to its dependence on coke and coal in blast furnaces and natural gas in direct reduced iron (DRI) furnaces. The refining industry, which uses hydrogen for hydrocracking and desulfurisation, contributes 3-4% of global industrial emissions. Similarly, chemical manufacturing relies on hydrogen to produce methanol and other compounds, driving 5-6% of industrial CO₂ emissions. Decarbonising these sectors will require replacing fossil-based hydrogen with green hydrogen or electrifying the chemical process. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable electricity and water electrolysis, generates no carbon emissions, making it a sustainable option for hydrogen production and a critical enabler of global decarbonisation efforts.
Green hydrogen is gaining traction, driven by falling costs for renewable energy and innovations in electrolyser technology. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers, in particular, are at the forefront of this progress. Ohmium, a leading electrolyser solution manufacturer, has developed a PEM electrolyser that combines high efficiency, high energy density, and fast ramping capabilities, making it ideal for integration with renewable energy sources. Ohmium’s advanced PEM technology delivers high availability and high energy density in a small footprint, unlike traditional alkaline electrolysers. The company has achieved significant cost reductions, partly by reducing reliance on scarce materials like iridium, enabling gigawatt-scale production. Ohmium’s hyper modular design further drives down costs, lowering installation expenses to just 10-20% of capital expenditures, compared to 50-100% for traditional custom-built systems.
Ohmium’s hyper modular design is crucial for realising the potential of green hydrogen. It reduces Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) costs by simplifying design and assembly processes, significantly shortening the time from project initiation to completion. The interlocking module architecture improves scalability, allowing systems to expand seamlessly to meet demand. Built-in redundancy boosts operational reliability by minimising downtime and lowering costs, while the rack-in, rack-out design further reduces operational disruptions. Standardised modules produced in highly efficient gigafactories enhance production efficiencies and facilitate the creation of robust, cost-effective global supply chains.
Ohmium’s innovations are already making waves in various sectors. In power generation, Ohmium and Spirare Energy collaborated on a green hydrogen pilot project at the NTPC NETRA campus in New Delhi. The system, powered by a solar array, produces green hydrogen that is stored on-site and later converted back into electricity using fuel cells, providing a continuous energy supply. This project demonstrates the potential of green hydrogen in power generation, even in challenging climatic conditions.
In the steel industry, Ohmium’s PEM electrolyser technology is enabling the production of green steel. Ohmium was chosen to provide its technology for a groundbreaking project between MASDAR and EMSTEEL in Abu Dhabi. This pilot project, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, uses green hydrogen to extract iron from iron ore, a pivotal step in steelmaking. The project aligns with the UAE’s ambition to become a global leader in hydrogen and green steel production, addressing the rising demand for decarbonised steel.
However, realising the full potential of green hydrogen requires more than just technological innovation. Government incentives and supportive policies are crucial for accelerating adoption. Europe’s Hydrogen Strategy and programmes like Germany’s H2Global initiative aim to stimulate market demand through funding and international partnerships. But policy support must go beyond financial incentives. Streamlined permitting processes for renewable energy projects, infrastructure development for hydrogen transport and storage, and international co-operation on standardisation are all crucial to scaling green hydrogen effectively. A co-ordinated approach that integrates industry, government, and global collaboration will be vital to unlocking the full potential of green hydrogen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This news underscores the transformative potential of green hydrogen and the urgent