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Ever wondered where future #hydrogen is likely to be supplied from and to, and how?

Gavin  Mooney's picture
Country manager - Australia, powercloud

Hi, my name is Gavin Mooney. Thanks for stopping by. I help utilities transform the way they run and embrace the energy transition with powercloud. Feel free to reach out, I am always up for...

  • Member since 2018
  • 48 items added with 63,862 views
  • Apr 8, 2023
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Here's the answer, at least according to the Hydrogen Council and McKinsey & Company.

The chart maps the interregional long-distance flows of hydrogen and its derivatives in 2050. The Sankey chart captures hydrogen supply, demand and the way it is transported, all in one.

Pipelines are the largest carrier, with the largest volume flows within the US and from western to eastern China.

#Europe is a significant importer, mostly supplied by piped hydrogen and synthetic kerosene from #Africa.

#Japan and #SouthKorea are also also big importers, but they aren't supplied by Australia - as many here would expect. Instead, this report has them being supplied by producers in the Middle East, using both ammonia and shipped hydrogen.

#Australia does have a role though, and exports 20 Mt each year to the rest of Asia, mostly as #ammonia. It appears that we largely lose out on the #greensteel market though, with Latin America and North America supplying most of that.

Australia's global contribution looks small on this chart, especially for a "green hydrogen superpower". But it takes about 1,000 TWh of electricity to make 20 Mt of green hydrogen (someone please check my maths!) which is a lot considering annual consumption in the NEM is around 200 TWh.

Forecasts for how much hydrogen the world will be using in 2050 vary wildly, but on this chart the flows add up to 400 Mt per annum, and that excludes local production and distribution.

Are they dreaming? Let me know what you think.
 

 

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Roger Arnold's picture
Roger Arnold on Apr 8, 2023

Gavin,

Your math checks out. About 1000 TWh to produce 20 MT of hydrogen via electrolysis -- which is what's usually assumed for "green" hydrogen. Electrolytic production of hydrogen is SERIOUSLY energy intensive. The numbers in that chart presume a several-fold increase in total would primary energy consumption.

As to whether or not its drafters are dreaming, I'd say yes, they are.

Gavin  Mooney's picture
Thank Gavin for the Post!
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