Hydrogen in Industrial Processes

Hydrogen produced from renewable sources, besides meeting the industrial demand for natural gas and coal as a valid alternative energy source, is also used as a raw material in numerous industrial applications. Thanks to its experience along the entire Hydrogen supply chain, Kiwa can support many industrial sectors in improving the sustainability of energy-intensive processes, using Hydrogen both as an alternative energy source and as an industrial raw material.

Current and potential uses of Hydrogen in the Industrial Sector

Hydrogen is already used in the production of ammonia, which is needed to make fertilizers and plastics. Oil refineries also use Hydrogen to remove sulfur from crude oil (hydrotreating) and to convert heavier hydrocarbons to lighter hydrocarbons (hydrocracking) to get more gasoline from crude oil.

In the chemical industry, blast furnaces and refineries, many processes require a high temperature to obtain the necessary reactions. Currently, such temperatures are achieved by the combustion of natural gas. Hydrogen also burns at high temperatures and is a viable alternative in applications requiring temperatures above 250°C.

Power to Gas Systems

Sustainable power generation from renewable sources does not have a constant pace, for this reason energy supply and demand are not always in balance. Power to Gas (P2G) systems allow excess energy to be stored. This solution is particularly appropriate for seasonal storage, where energy storage is more useful than battery storage (more suitable for short-term storage). Then, the Hydrogen produced in a P2G system could be used in a controllable gas plant to generate power as needed.