Hydrogen is essential for many industrial processes, from chemical production to oil refining to food and beverage industry use to powering vehicles as a fuel source. Multiple methods may be used to generate this essential element for later use. But some of these methods have far greater environmental side effects than others.
More environmentally friendly hydrogen production methods are emerging and gaining popular adoption, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms are making decisions on the tanks, piping and other industrial infrastructure that will support the processes. This blog looks at the most popular methods of hydrogen production and how one important part of production – process water transport – can be reliably supported by Corzan® CPVC.
There are multiple hydrogen production methods that vary from common to experimental. The production methods use a color-based nicknaming system to describe how the initial molecules are broken down, what power source is used to generate the hydrogen and the byproducts produced. At this time, the most common colors of hydrogen are:
The color classification system is evolving as the hydrogen industry develops new production methods. For example, Turquoise (methane pyrolysis) and Red (nuclear catalytic splitting) production are still in the experimental stage and not yet widely used, while Pink is a maturing process of water electrolysis via nuclear power.
Grey remains the most common form of hydrogen production. Grey hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from natural gas using steam methane reformation (SMR). SMR produces not just hydrogen but also carbon dioxide, which releases substantial greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Brown and Black hydrogen production are similarly environmentally unfriendly. These methods gasify lignite coal (Brown) or bituminous coal (Black) to produce hydrogen. Like Grey production, the Brown and Black methods produce enormous quantities of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane during the coal-based gasification process. For this reason, Blue and Green hydrogen production are gaining popularity.
Blue hydrogen production uses the same production methods and nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels) but adds the more environmentally friendly process of carbon capture and storage. This technology not only prevents carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere but also allows the CO2 to be stored and transported for use in other industrial processes.
Green hydrogen production refers to hydrogen produced using water electrolysis—where the water is split into hydrogen and oxygen—using electricity generated from renewable resources like wind, solar or hydropower. Since no fossil fuels are used in this production method, there is no carbon byproduct, thus bypassing the need for carbon capture and storage. Both Green and Blue production methods are large strides toward a more sustainable hydrogen market, and water plays a key role in both processes.
Water has a leading role in hydrogen production; after all, it’s the source from which the hydrogen is drawn. And in this and other industries, water is also vital for process cooling and feeding other functions within the system.
In Blue hydrogen production, for example, steam and methane are converted into hydrogen and carbon monoxide through SMR. The steam required in this process is created using purified water. The purification process involves taking “raw” water directly from a body such as an aquifer, lake or well, and filtering out minerals, chemicals and other impurities prior to use in the SMR process.
A similar purification process is needed for Green production to use in its electrolyzer. Water is drawn from its source (aquifer, lake, etc.) and is purified before entering the electrolyzer cell.
In both Blue and Green hydrogen production, substantial process cooling water is also needed. Cooling water does not require the same purity level as the water used in SMR or electrolysis. But all types of water bring the challenges of corrosion. This, along with the common practice of burying pipes, demands a piping material with exceptional reliability and strength when transporting any type of water.
Although the temperatures and pressures of handling manufactured hydrogen require highly specialized metallics, the process piping throughout a hydrogen production facility can often be made of a more economical alternative. This is especially true of the piping used for the facility’s process water.
Corzan CPVC, an industry-leading chlorinated polyvinyl chloride piping, is an ideal choice for this type of support piping in hydrogen production operations. Corzan CPVC is:
Adding Corzan CPVC piping to a hydrogen facility can support the main production processes by minimizing downtime, ensuring compliance and providing excellent resistance to the water that runs through the pipes. Learn more about the science behind Corzan CPVC’s resistance to all types of water.