How Green Hydrogen Could End The Fossil Fuel Era | Vaitea Cowan | TED

Summary

This transcript highlights the importance of green hydrogen as a solution to climate change. By using water electrolysis powered by renewable energy, we can create green hydrogen, a clean energy source that can replace fossil fuels in hard-to-decarbonize sectors like steel production and aviation. The key to scaling green hydrogen lies in mass-producing compact, standardized electrolyzers. This approach can make green hydrogen cheaper than fossil fuels, driving a new industrial revolution powered by sustainable energy. The message emphasizes the urgent need to act on this opportunity to end the fossil fuel era.

Takeaways

• 🔋 The experiment with salt water, a battery, and pencils in middle school chemistry demonstrates water electrolysis, which is key to producing green hydrogen.
• 🌍 Green hydrogen is a clean energy alternative that can replace fossil fuels, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
• 💧 Water electrolysis uses renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, creating green hydrogen.
• ⚙️ An electrolyzer is the device used to create green hydrogen from water using renewable electricity.
• 🏭 Green hydrogen is crucial for decarbonizing sectors that rely on molecules rather than electrons, such as industrial processes and transportation.
• 🛫 Hydrogen-powered aircraft are becoming a reality, with commercial flights for a 20-seater hydrogen plane scheduled within two years.
• 🚢 Green hydrogen can be used in various applications, including fuel cells, direct combustion, and creating hydrogen-derived fuels like green ammonia and green methanol.
• 🏔️ Green hydrogen can be stored across seasons without energy loss, providing a reliable energy source.
• 📉 The main challenge to widespread green hydrogen adoption is reducing the cost of electrolyzers to make green hydrogen cheaper than fossil fuels.
• 🏭 Enapter focuses on mass-producing standardized, compact electrolyzers to drive down the price and scale up the production of green hydrogen, aiming for a significant impact on global energy transition.

Q & A

What is the significance of the experiment mentioned in the script?

The experiment mentioned in the script is water electrolysis, which is a method to create hydrogen. This process is significant because it is a key to tackling climate change by producing green hydrogen, a clean energy source.

What is green hydrogen and how is it produced?

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). It is considered 'green' because it is 100 percent clean and does not contribute to climate change unlike other forms of hydrogen produced from fossil fuels.

What is the role of an electrolyzer in the production of green hydrogen?

An electrolyzer is the device that facilitates the reaction of water electrolysis. It uses renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, thereby producing green hydrogen.

Why is green hydrogen considered a potential replacement for fossil fuels?

Green hydrogen is considered a potential replacement for fossil fuels because it is a clean energy source that can be used in various sectors such as industry, transport, heating, and cooling, which are currently largely powered by fossil fuels.

What percentage of global energy consumption is currently in the form of electricity or electrons?

According to the script, only 20 percent of global energy consumption is in the form of electricity or electrons, with the remaining 80 percent being in the form of molecules, primarily from fossil fuels.

Why can't all sectors be electrified?

Not all sectors can be electrified because some processes, like industrial reactions, require molecules, not electrons. For example, making steel requires a molecular reaction that cannot be achieved by electricity alone.

How can green hydrogen help reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry?

Green hydrogen can help reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry by replacing the use of coal, which is traditionally used to remove oxygen from iron ore. Using green hydrogen in the process can eliminate up to 95 percent of CO2 emissions.

What is the potential of green hydrogen in the aviation sector?

Green hydrogen has the potential to power aircraft emission-free. Hydrogen planes are being developed, with commercial flights of a 20-seater aircraft scheduled for two years from the time of the script, and an 80-seater expected by 2026.

What are the challenges in making green hydrogen a widely used energy source?

The challenges in making green hydrogen widely used include the speed, scale, and cost of manufacturing electrolyzers. To be competitive, green hydrogen needs to be cheaper than fossil fuels, which requires mass production of affordable electrolyzers.

What approach is Enapter taking to make green hydrogen a reality?

Enapter is focusing on making electrolyzers a standardized, mass-produced commodity. They aim to leverage economies of scale by focusing on one core size, which can be combined to achieve any hydrogen quantity needed, thereby driving down the cost of green hydrogen.

How does Enapter's approach to electrolyzer production compare to the development of personal computers?

Enapter's approach is similar to the development of personal computers, which started as a disruptive technology and eventually became a compact, standardized, and mass-producible product. Enapter aims to make electrolyzers compact and easy to produce and use, enabling widespread adoption of green hydrogen.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Revisiting Middle School Chemistry to Combat Climate Change

The narrator takes us back to a middle school chemistry experiment involving salt water, a battery, and pencils, which demonstrated water electrolysis. This experiment is now key to addressing climate change by producing green hydrogen, a clean energy source. By using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, we can create green hydrogen without relying on fossil fuels. Mass production of electrolyzers is essential to scale green hydrogen and replace fossil fuels in various sectors, particularly in areas that rely heavily on molecules rather than electrons for energy, like industry and transportation.

05:00

🌍 The Urgency and Approach to Mass-Producing Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen isn't yet widely used primarily due to the cost and scale of producing electrolyzers. The solution lies in making electrolyzers cheap and mass-produced. Enapter, founded in 2017, aims to achieve this by creating standardized, mass-producible electrolyzers. This approach draws inspiration from the history of the personal computer, which disrupted the mainframe computer industry by being compact, standardized, and affordable. By focusing on a single core size for their electrolyzers, Enapter plans to drive down costs and make green hydrogen a viable, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The goal is to usher in a new industrial revolution powered by green electricity and hydrogen.

Keywords

💡Field Trip

A field trip is an educational excursion outside the classroom to a place where students can learn through direct experience. In the video, the speaker uses the term to set the scene of revisiting a past experience in a middle school chemistry class, which serves as a metaphor for revisiting foundational knowledge that can be applied to current challenges like climate change.

💡Water Electrolysis

Water electrolysis is a process that uses electricity to split water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). It is a core concept in the video, illustrating how renewable energy can be used to create clean hydrogen fuel. The speaker mentions this process as a key to tackling climate change by replacing fossil fuels with green hydrogen.

💡Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced using renewable energy sources, resulting in a clean energy carrier with zero carbon emissions. The video emphasizes the importance of green hydrogen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, highlighting its potential in various sectors such as industry, transport, and heating.

💡Electrolyzer

An electrolyzer is a device that facilitates the process of water electrolysis, producing hydrogen and oxygen from water. The video discusses the role of electrolyzers in creating green hydrogen, and the speaker's company, Enapter, focuses on making these devices more accessible and affordable to scale up green hydrogen production.

💡Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon-based energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed from the remains of ancient organisms. The video contrasts green hydrogen with fossil fuels, emphasizing the need to transition away from these carbon-intensive sources to mitigate climate change.

💡Renewable Electricity

Renewable electricity is generated from resources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and water. The video underscores the importance of using renewable electricity to power electrolyzers, thereby producing green hydrogen, which is essential for decarbonizing various sectors.

💡Energy Consumption

Energy consumption refers to the total amount of energy used by humans in various activities, including industry, transport, and heating. The video highlights that a significant portion of global energy consumption is in the form of molecules, not electricity, and green hydrogen can be a key molecule in this transition.

💡Industrial Processes

Industrial processes are the methods and techniques used in manufacturing and production. The video uses the example of steel production to illustrate how green hydrogen can replace fossil fuels in industrial applications, reducing CO2 emissions.

💡Aviation Sector

The aviation sector refers to the industry involving the operation of aircraft for travel and transport. The video discusses the challenges of electrifying aircraft due to weight constraints and how hydrogen-powered planes can offer a zero-emission alternative.

💡Hydrogen-Derived Fuels

Hydrogen-derived fuels are fuels produced from hydrogen, such as green ammonia and green methanol. The video mentions these fuels as potential applications for green hydrogen, indicating their role in decarbonizing sectors like global shipping.

💡Enapter

Enapter is a company mentioned in the video that focuses on developing and mass-producing electrolyzers. The speaker discusses Enapter's approach to making green hydrogen more accessible and affordable by standardizing and mass-producing electrolyzers, which is crucial for scaling up green hydrogen production.

Highlights

Going on a field trip to revisit a chemistry class experiment with salt water, a battery, and two pencils.

The experiment is related to water electrolysis, a method to create hydrogen.

Hydrogen is abundant in water (H2O) and can be split into H and O using renewable electricity to create green hydrogen.

The device that facilitates this reaction is called an electrolyzer.

Other types of hydrogen use fossil fuels and are not as environmentally friendly.

Green hydrogen is 100 percent clean and is a key to tackling climate change.

Scaling green hydrogen production involves mass-producing electrolyzers.

80 percent of global energy consumption is in the form of molecules, not electricity.

Industries, transport, heating, and cooling sectors rely on molecules, primarily fossil fuels.

Electrification is not feasible for all sectors due to the nature of molecular reactions.

Green hydrogen can replace the use of coal in steel production, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 95 percent.

Major European steel manufacturers are already implementing green hydrogen-based steel production.

Aviation cannot rely solely on batteries due to weight constraints, but hydrogen planes are a viable alternative.

Green hydrogen can be used in a wide range of applications, including direct combustion and fuel cell electricity generation.

Green hydrogen can be stored across seasons without energy loss, as demonstrated in the Alps.

Hydrogen is one of the most energy-dense molecules, containing three times as much energy as diesel by mass.

The cost of green electricity is no longer the bottleneck; the challenge is the speed, scale, and cost of making green hydrogen generators.

Enapter was founded in 2017 with the goal of making green hydrogen a reality by focusing on standardized, mass-produced electrolyzers.

Enapter's approach is to design electrolyzers as products, not projects, focusing on a single core size for mass production.

By leveraging economies of scale, Enapter aims to drive down the price of green hydrogen, making it cheaper than fossil fuels.

The next industrial revolution involves building a sustainable energy supply with green electricity and green hydrogen molecules.

Transcripts

We're going on a field trip together.

We're going back to middle school,

to chemistry class.

Do you remember this?

It was an experiment we did with salt water,

a battery and two pencils.

Guess what?

The reaction you witnessed then is a key to tackling climate change.

Yes, at 14 years old, we already knew.

And today, we have the means to replace fossil fuels with green hydrogen.

Let's walk through this.

The experiment I'm alluding to is called water electrolysis.

And it is a way to create hydrogen.

On Earth,

hydrogen is found in the greatest quantities in water:

H2O.

And when you use renewable electricity to split water into H and O,

that's green hydrogen.

And the device creating this reaction is called an electrolyzer.

There are other colors of hydrogen out there,

but they use fossil fuels.

So we're not going to talk about those today,

they'll only make climate change worse.

We are talking about green hydrogen,

which is 100 percent clean.

And the quickest path to scaling green hydrogen

is by mass producing electrolyzers.

But first, why do we need green hydrogen?

When we look at our global energy consumption today,

only 20 percent comes in the form of electricity or electrons.

This means the remaining 80 percent of our world's energy use

is in the forms of molecules.

And while the world is making rapid progress

in greening our electricity,

we need to look towards our molecules as well.

Think about your industry, transport, heating and cooling sectors.

They're all powered by molecules.

And yes, this means largely by fossil fuels:

coal, oil and gas.

We won't be able to electrify all of our sectors.

And here's why.

Let's start with an example from the industrial sector.

Molecules create the reaction,

not electrons.

To make steel the old way we first mine iron ore,

then burn coal to remove the oxygen from the iron mix.

Seven to nine percent of our world's CO2 emissions

come from this process.

It's the coal that provides the molecule,

creating the reaction to get rid of the oxygen.

Electrons can't do that.

But what they can do

is power the device that creates green hydrogen.

And this clean molecule will create the reaction,

attract the oxygen

and emit only water in the process.

So by changing the process,

we can eliminate up to 95 percent of our CO2 emissions.

And today, major European steel manufacturers

are already building green hydrogen-based steel production processes.

(Applause)

That's just one of the countless industrial processes,

small and big,

that need a molecule.

Another example, let's say,

that we can't use electricity for everything-everything is weight.

Take the aviation sector.

An 80-passenger aircraft flying on batteries.

Kind of impossible.

One would need more batteries just to fly the battery.

Hydrogen planes, though, they're taking off emission-free.

This is a 20-seater aircraft,

and its commercial flights are scheduled two years from now.

And by 2026,

we'll be welcoming the 80-seater.

And these are just two examples

of how we can end our reliance on fossil fuels.

The world is turning to green hydrogen

because it is effectively coupling those hard-to-decarbonize sectors

with green electricity.

An electrolyzer connected to solar and wind power generation

is transforming green electrons into green molecules.

Green hydrogen is transforming our renewable electricity

into an energy carrier that is extremely versatile.

And today, this clean molecule is already being used

in a wide range of applications.

It can be combusted directly as a fuel and emits zero carbon emissions.

It's also being turned into hydrogen-derived fuels

like green ammonia, green methanol,

which can fuel global shipping.

Green hydrogen is being stored across seasons without losing energy,

like here in the Alps.

And it can then be used in a fuel cell to create electricity emitting only water,

like in this remote village in Malaysia.

Hydrogen is one of the most energy-dense molecules,

and by mass it contains three times as much energy than diesel.

So you might be wondering, well,

why aren't we using this already everywhere?

And so previously, the reason was the cost of green electricity.

But that's no longer the bottleneck.

So what's the challenge?

It's the speed, scale and cost of making these green hydrogen generators.

Luckily,

people are already working on making green hydrogen a reality.

Because to make green hydrogen the fuel source of the future,

it needs to be cheaper than fossil fuels.

And this means

electrolyzers are going to need to be really, really cheap.

We started Enapter in 2017

with this one goal in mind and urgency in our hearts.

And so we chose a means

that is a bit different from how others in the industry proceed.

We turned to economic history

for approaches that scaled fast and reduced prices significantly.

And the answer was clear.

If you want to take a solution around the globe as quickly as possible,

you need to make it a standardized, mass-produced commodity.

A product that's easy to make and use.

And so some believe we need larger machines.

But we believe the electrolyser should be a standardized,

mass-produced commodity.

A product that can make green hydrogen anywhere for anyone.

So to better understand our approach, let me draw an analogy.

Up until the ’80s, mainframe computers,

they were considered the future of computing.

They were huge and complex equipment,

and they were designed for businesses only.

Then came the PC,

and at first people laughed and wondered:

Why would we ever need such a tiny computer?

But ultimately, it disrupted the industry.

And today, data centers, they use blade servers, which is PC technology.

Why?

Because the PC became a compact,

standardized and mass-producible product

that was cheap to make, easy to build,

and that could be used in any kinds of context.

It's time to do this with green hydrogen.

To this end,

Enapter is designing all of its electrolyzers as products

and not projects.

At the heart of our electrolyser is an electrolysis core

generating green hydrogen,

and it is the foundation for all of our products.

And we're taking these core stacks

and other components of our electrolyzers into mass production.

And so instead of building larger electrolyzers,

we're building compact ones

that can be combined to achieving any hydrogen quantity needed.

And we believe this is the quickest way to scale green hydrogen

and drive down its price.

And the next step

is going into mass production.

This is our campus.

And it's going to be fully powered by renewables, of course,

and that's where we'll be tackling speed, scale and cost.

By focusing on one single core size,

we can leverage massive economies of scale

and drive down the price of green hydrogen.

Because that’s what it’s all about:

making green hydrogen cheaper than fossil fuels.

We have the means to make green hydrogen the fuel source of the future.

It's time to listen to our 14-year-old selves

and the 14-year-olds of today.

Our generation has a unique opportunity.

It's time for the next industrial revolution.

We can build our world's energy supplies sustainably,

made of a lot of green electricity

and a wave of green hydrogen molecules.

This is how we end the fossil fuel era.

Thank you.

(Applause)