The following is an article originally published on January 18, 2025, by Biomass Magazine.

By Caitlin Scheresky, Biomass Magazine 

On Nov. 26, EcoEngineers hosted the newest installment in its “Back to Basics” webinar series, with this edition focusing on hydrogen. EcoEngineers’ Senior Carbon Consultant Guillermo Aguirre presented the webinar’s content. 

Aguirre kicked off the conversation with a brief history of hydrogen. Hydrogen makes up the majority of the universe’s mass at 75%, Aguirre said, and is an energy carrier. This ability to store energy makes it crucial to several industries. Discovered in 1766, hydrogen has become an integral part of the renewable energy industry. Perhaps most notable is hydrogen’s role in the 2022 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, in which the hydrogen production tax credit debuted. 

READ MORE: Summary of the Section 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (PTC) Final Rule

Hydrogen production varies in carbon intensity and emissions, Aguirre explained, depending on the method of production. Hydrogen production through steam methane reforming (SMR), during which natural gas is heated to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, is a high-carbon-intensity method. When carbon capture methods are applied to SMR by using natural gas as feedstock, carbon emissions are minimized to a medium-to-low intensity. The hydrogen produced by this paired method is called blue hydrogen or low-carbon hydrogen. Low-carbon-intensity hydrogen is produced when a source of renewable energy and water takes the place of natural gas. Emissions are reduced to hydrogen and oxygen, with minimal carbon emissions.

Hydrogen’s uses, Aguirre said, are numerous, from transportation to storage. And its consumption in the United States is only increasing. Currently, 55% of hydrogen consumption is used in refining; 35% is used with ammonia and methanol; 8% is used in other areas, such as the rocket and space industry; and 2% is used in metals production. “The challenge here is to replace the existing, current fossil-based hydrogen with a low-carbon-intensity hydrogen,” Aguirre explained. 

READ MORE: National Petroleum Council Report Highlights Hydrogen’s Critical Role

Just as hydrogen’s uses are growing, so too is U.S. demand. At current production, roughly 10 million tons of hydrogen are in demand per year in the U.S. for use in petroleum and metal refining, biofuels, natural gas blending, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and more. This demand for hydrogen holds benefits across industry lines as decarbonization efforts intensify: FCEVs no longer hold the weight of a car battery and run on electricity produced by hydrogen that can be fully charged in 20 minutes; hydrogen can minimize some of the current demand for fossil fuels and higher-carbon-intensity fuels in the steel and cement manufacturing process; and carbon emissions produced through electricity generation and natural gas blending can be replaced with cleaner energy. 

Currently, industrial decarbonization is tied to incentives like the IRA. Interest in hydrogen policy is growing across the globe, with many countries developing strategies and roadmaps to get involved. “As we keep adding these in new consumption areas,” Aguirre said, “you will see hydrogen demand can go up to closer to 100 million tons per year.”