Israel is in a unique position to develop a hydrogen economy. The establishment of solar-hydrogen parks could bridge the gap between research and commercial implementation. Opinion
By Prof. David Kahan and Prof. Dan Yakir, Zavit – Science and Environment News Agency
Many consider hydrogen a dangerous fuel. But not only does it appear to be no more dangerous than regular fuel (and perhaps even less so), it may be the "fuel of the future." The global use of hydrogen for storing and transporting energy and ultimately as an alternative fuel, which can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, is expanding rapidly and is enabling the production of important benefits and advantages for the energy sector and the environment. Israel must join this trend, take a leading role in promoting the field, and lead to the development and integration of the use of green hydrogen.
Hydrogen production in all colors
To finance a great potential as a way For energy storage For electricity generation, heavy transport and suitable industrial uses (such as steel and cement production). Unlike fossil fuels extracted from the earth's crust, hydrogen must be produced with an investment of energy before it can be used as a fuel. A common way to produce hydrogen without using fossil fuels (such as gas) is the electrolysis of water, a process that uses an electric current and a membrane to separate oxygen and hydrogen. It is customary to characterize the type of energy invested in the production of hydrogen by color. Thus, hydrogen produced through electrolysis is defined as "green" Only if the energy used for the electrolysis of water does not involve greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., solar energy or hydroelectric energy). Under suitable conditions, "pink" hydrogen can be produced using nuclear energy. Producing "black" hydrogen""Gray" and "brown" coal is based on the use of black coal, gray coal or "natural" gas, all of which are carbon compounds whose use is accompanied by the emission of carbon dioxide. Hydrogen "blue" It is also produced using fossil fuels or natural gas, but the carbon dioxide released during hydrogen production is captured in processes known as Carbon capture Emissions and its disposal.
The payback efficiency, i.e. the amount of energy produced relative to that invested, which includes both hydrogen production and electricity generation, is currently around 50 percent, but new systems currently in the commercialization stages are expected to increase the efficiency to around 70 percent in the foreseeable future. Currently, producing green hydrogen is at least 2.5–5 times more expensive than using fossil fuels such as oil or coal. However, by 2030 the cost of producing green hydrogen Expected to equalize To that of gray or blue hydrogen.
An important factor that tends to be overlooked is the need for water as a source for producing hydrogen fuel from the electrolysis of water. If desalinated water is used, about 20 kg of seawater will be required. Therefore, the water consumption for an annual production capacity of about 9,000 gigawatt hours (GWh), i.e. a production rate of 1 gigawatt (GW) over a year, can be like the annual water consumption of a city with about 70,000 inhabitants. Therefore, in most cases, the production site should be close to the sea. However, direct use of seawater in electrolysis shortens the lifespan of components in the technological systems, such as electrodes, and especially advanced membranes. Therefore, it is advisable to use fresh water (high-quality water) or desalinated water, which will add 0.3 percent to 1 percent to the price of green hydrogen, according to forecasts for its price decline.
The first hydrogen refueling station in Israel has been operating since May 2023 in Sonol Yagur. Photo: Idan Sabah
From research to commercial application
Academic research in general, as well as in Israel, plays a critical role in advancing hydrogen production and its use in several fields. For example, researchers at the Technion developed a new generation of water electrolysis for the efficient separation of hydrogen from oxygen, and the company "H2Pro" was founded to commercialize the idea.
The appearance of the first applications in the commercial market indicates initial successes in the transition from academic research to commercial application. In 2023, Sonol inaugurated the first right-hand (gray) refueling station to serve hydrogen trucks. GenCell is developing a system for charging electric vehicles that includes hydrogen-based fuel cells. The "Green Sodom" initiative of "Chemicals for Israel" (KIL), which aims to convert the Sodom industrial complex to operate on green energy, is based on a field of solar cells and hydrogen production for energy storage and supply to the Dead Sea plants. Doral Energy is working in collaboration with "Eilat Eilot" and the "Yetveta" dairy to establish a hydrogen valley.
However, before Israel can become a regional hub for hydrogen production and export, an intermediate stage of research and development is needed that will make scientific research accessible to startups and commercial companies already operating in the market. Promoting the intermediate stage can be based on the establishment of solar-hydrogen parks as a platform for promoting and developing the selection of technologies needed for large-scale commercial application. The goal of the "solar-hydrogen park" is to test the feasibility of a hydrogen plant based on the establishment of a broad infrastructure to connect solar energy as a primary source of energy with hydrogen production as an optimal solution for energy storage. The park will serve industries, research institutions, and other interested parties in Israel and around the world. The planned park will be a "sandbox" (experimental site) and pilot research, and will form the basis for connecting the various technologies for diverse consumers and energy goals, from a small independent energy source to a dedicated facility to a comprehensive energy infrastructure for a locality, region, and more.
Blue-and-white "green" hydrogen economy
Thanks to the abundant sunlight and vast desert areas, Israel has great potential for solar electricity production that can be used to produce green hydrogen. In Israel, distances are short and should not limit the transportation of hydrogen. Transporting electricity above ground is not particularly expensive. There are developments for transporting direct current (DC) that is good for ranges of up to 3,500 km, and is currently also used for distances relevant to Israel, which could streamline the field with the integration of this technology in Israel in the future. Another important component that contributes to Israel's unique position for developing a hydrogen economy is its proximity to the sea and to the plants. desalination For high quality water supply.
Israel can become a leading player in the field of hydrogen economy also in light of its location in the Jordan-Israel-Egypt triangle (Aqaba-Eilat-Taba), which is suitable for plants that combine hydrogen, solar energy and desalination on an international scale. This is a vision for an industrial infrastructure in which hydrogen, free of carbon, is a resource the energy The dominant one, just as Jules Verne predicted in his book "The Mysterious Island" in 1870 that "water will be the coal of the future."
Prof. David Kahn, Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science.
Prof. Dan Yakir, Chairman of the Steering Committee for Dealing with the Climate Crisis, Israel National Academy of Sciences; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science.
The article is based on a policy article published In the scientific journal 'Ecology and Environment' and that is based on Position paper of the Steering Committee of the Israel National Academy of Sciences for Dealing with the Climate Crisis, and prepared by Zavit – Agency The news של the association the Israeli one for ecology and scientific הסביבה
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