Oct 01, 2023
Hydrogen is a key energy source for achieving carbon neutrality and a decarbonized society. While it is abundant on Earth in water and organic matter, pure hydrogen is rare.
As a result, it is produced through methods such as electrolysis and natural gas reforming. Yanmar is working to deliver sustainable energy by developing hydrogen-powered products.
As companies pursue carbon neutrality and decarbonization, hydrogen is drawing attention as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Hydrogen, composed of molecules containing two hydrogen atoms, is the lightest gas on Earth and has minimal environmental impact, generating only water when burned.
While hydrogen exists abundantly in compounds like water and organic matter, pure hydrogen—required for energy use—is extremely rare. So how is this key decarbonization fuel produced?
Many people are first introduced to hydrogen in science class—typically by generating it through a reaction between metal and hydrochloric acid, then collecting the gas via water displacement. Fortunately, producing hydrogen for industrial and societal use does not rely on such methods as dissolving metal in acid. Today, several industrial-scale techniques are available for hydrogen production:
The first method is the electrolysis of water, where an electric current is applied to water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen. This process requires a large amount of electricity.
The second method produces hydrogen from natural gas by reacting it with high-temperature steam, which generates carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; hydrogen is then separated from these gases. This technique is also used in residential fuel cells.
The third method involves biomass pyrolysis, where organic materials such as biomass are decomposed at high temperatures to generate hydrogen.
The fourth method collects hydrogen as a by-product during the manufacturing of other materials, primarily during the reduction of iron in steelmaking and in the production of caustic soda, a widely used chemical in industrial applications.
If fossil fuel-based electricity is used or CO2 is emitted from non-biomass sources, hydrogen production is no longer carbon neutral. Therefore, the use of renewable energy and the capture of CO2 emissions during production are essential to achieving carbon neutrality.
While hydrogen alone cannot solve all the challenges of achieving carbon neutrality, continued innovation in hydrogen technologies is expected to play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable society.
Yanmar is actively developing hydrogen-powered solutions to support a stable and carbon-free energy future.
