I need to correct myself here and get more specific. It’s not only about what generates the electricity that powers the hydrogen extraction/isolation. It’s true that the current electrical grid is powered by a mix of activities that includes burning a lot of natural gas.
But it’s also true that the current cheapest (and therefore by far most common) means of hydrogen production is steam methane reforming, where the source of the hydrogen atoms is natural gas. And the byproducts are some carbon monoxide and dioxide.
In short, achieving truly green hydrogen production would require not just a green energy source but having that source be so inexpensive that it would be cheaper to make the hydrogen by electrolysis of water instead of by reforming methane. I don’t know enough to speculate how difficult or likely that will be.
I need to correct myself here and get more specific. It’s not only about what generates the electricity that powers the hydrogen extraction/isolation. It’s true that the current electrical grid is powered by a mix of activities that includes burning a lot of natural gas.
But it’s also true that the current cheapest (and therefore by far most common) means of hydrogen production is steam methane reforming, where the source of the hydrogen atoms is natural gas. And the byproducts are some carbon monoxide and dioxide.
In short, achieving truly green hydrogen production would require not just a green energy source but having that source be so inexpensive that it would be cheaper to make the hydrogen by electrolysis of water instead of by reforming methane. I don’t know enough to speculate how difficult or likely that will be.