ARTICLE Hydrogen: the “new natural gas” We are at the mid-point between the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and 2050, the year that many countries and companies have pledged to reach Net Zero. But little progress has been made during the first 29 years, when judged against the magnitude of the challenge. Obviously, a dramatic change is needed to de-risk green investment to speed the process. It is clear that decarbonizing electricity is the lead horse. The largely provide the fuel we use for all modes of transportation, United States, for example, achieved 27% decarbonization of industrial activity, agriculture, and other energy-intensive the electricity sector since 2005. That accounts for the majority activities. They also provide efficient and convenient long- of my country’s 10% economy-wide reduction. This was mainly duration energy storage. However, their direct use across from replacing coal generation with natural gas and renewables. multiple energy-end-use sectors generates greenhouse gas Reaching Net Zero electricity before 2050 is a real possibility, emissions that constitute a catastrophic risk to our economy, and an important goal. security, environment, and way of life. Electrification of some sectors previously reliant on fossil fuels Unfortunately all of the alternative sustainable, scalable fuels will take advantage of decarbonized electricity supply, and today are challenged by costs. Innovation is needed to reduce extend its benefits. We have already seen some sectors begin these costs, especially in terms of what the end consumer sees as to replace fossil fuels with green electricity. For example, it energy prices. is happening with the rapid penetration of light-duty electric vehicles. That has occurred as the cost of lithium batteries Hydrogen is emerging as the most likely candidate for this fuel, falls, governments provide financial incentives, and supporting as a complement to electricity. It can be positioned as the “new infrastructure is extended. And at the root of this phenomenon, natural gas,” serving multiple sectors flexibly, while eliminating electric vehicles are high-performance, and appeal to many major greenhouse gas emissions. It can be combusted cleanly, drivers on that basis. and replace carbon-emitting industrial processes such as in Yet zero-carbon electricity alone is not enough to reach steelmaking. economy-wide Net Zero. Major processes within other sectors such as transportation, industry, buildings, agriculture, and waste Those applications assume that hydrogen can be produced and management are much more difficult to decarbonize, because distributed at large scale, without CO emissions through green2 they are unlikely to be practically and economically electrified. (produced by electrolysis of water with electricity from renewable energies), blue (fossil origin + CO capture and storage),2 Because of this, low-carbon electricity will need to be turquoise (fossil origin + solid carbon), or some other colour complemented by a clean fuel. Today oil and natural gas in the visible spectrum. It can also play the role of large-scale 14