Q4 2022

In line with the energy transition movement, the oil and gas industry should consider investment in carbon capture and utilization, and produce low-carbon products like hydrogen and ammonia. Carbon capture will support emissions reduction through flare systems, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide in the boilers, and sulfur recovery unit thermal oxidizer stacks.

Electricity and H₂ form complementary options for transferring and storing energy for different end uses, offering much more flexibility in optimizing energy structures on a macro scale.

The term waste-to-energy often connotes incineration, which only adds to the GHG and criteria pollutants’ emissions problem that needs many forms of abatement, such as direct air capture technologies being pursued by many companies.

Proton exchange membrane and alkaline electrolyzers are at the market uptake level, solid oxide electrolyzer cells are still under demonstration and anion exchange membrane electrolyzers are still at the prototype level.

Blending H₂ directly into the grid was studied based on various components, which included process, pipelines, custody meters, field instrumentation, gas turbines, compressors, fired heaters, boilers and valves.

How will plants respond when H₂ is introduced as a fuel source? What modifications will the system require to utilize H₂? How will the introduction of H₂ affect performance and emissions?

There are plans for partial or full replacement of natural gas with H₂ in natural gas grids, as well as ambitious targets to enhance the production of fuel cell vehicles and the development of H₂ refueling stations. These will form the infrastructure of a future H₂ network.

The newest technology in the global H₂ sector includes thermal mass flowmeters for H₂ measurement, new technologies for green H₂ purification and underground H₂ storage.

Over the past few years, developers have struggled to secure the necessary financing and offtake agreements needed to take FID, despite the increase in global H₂ strategies and initiatives.

Gulf Energy Information’s Global Energy Infrastructure database is tracking more than 1,030 active H₂ projects around the world. This is an increase of nearly 100 projects from data published in the Q2 issue.

Updates on people and personnel changes in the global H₂ sector.