Hydrogen can play a key role in Canada's clean energy future if the hydrogen being produced and used is zero- or low-carbon. The Pembina Institute's new primer, Hydrogen on the Path to Net-Zero Emissions: Costs and climate benefits, will help inform the public conversation as hydrogen is increasingly touted as a potential replacement for fossil fuels.
Not all hydrogen is created equal: The climate benefit of hydrogen is dependent on whether it is made with renewable energy (green), natural gas with carbon capture and storage technology (blue), or with fossil fuels without any attempt to capture emissions (grey, brown, or black). Most hydrogen being produced globally today is grey.
Whether in pure form or blended with other fuels, hydrogen has various applications in buildings, electricity, industry, and transportation. However, zero- or low-carbon hydrogen's greatest value may lie in its potential to reduce carbon pollution from hard-to-decarbonize sectors and end uses, such as heavy-duty freight transportation and high-heat industrial processes.
Realizing hydrogen's full potential will require robust national and provincial strategies that will identify the sectors that will most benefit, fund research on new and cost-effective technologies, account for regional contexts, and introduce policies to encourage production and use.
