The biggest threat to water in the next decades isn't hydrogen
Happy World Water Day 2023 💦
Access to water and energy are the most critical resources towards a healthy and richer life for everyone. You’ve heard ‘water is life’ well so is energy. And on World Water Day, let’s briefly address one of the biggest cliffhangers in the low-carbon (hydrogen) future paradigm ?
The impending hydrogen economy is based on a time-old scientific process - it’s called electrolysis. This process is when an electric current is passed through a substance to effect a chemical change. For the production of Green hydrogen, with the global hydrogen demand by 2050 varying from 150 to 500 million metric tonnes per year.; electrolysis will be done by using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Now, pure water is an intricate part of electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. It has been estimated that 9 kg of fresh water is needed per kg of hydrogen [9kgH2O/kgH2]. So this grandeur hydrogen economy will require secure, long-term access to clean water.
But so do over 2 billion people who lack access to safe drinking water and 4 billion people experiencing severe water scarcity at least one month a year–and many far more frequently than that.
So, it’s not breaking news that several countries are facing a shortage of clean water…if you missed it. Here are some countries experiencing ‘Water Stress’… 💦
Water Flint, Michigan, United States which recently won an award of $600 million in settlement
South Africa’s water crisis is primarily due to climate change but It is estimated that 70 million litres of treated, clean, drinkable water is lost daily as a result of the thousands upon thousands of leaks that characterise South Africa's water piping system
Egypt is also facing a water crisis due to climate change bringing year-long droughts across the region
Brazil: Out of its population of 212 million people, 30 million people (14% of the population) lack access to a reliable, safely managed source of water
Asia water shortages—both in the form of stress and scarcity—are emerging as a major social and economic threat, especially in China and India. There’s a looming water war between India and Pakistan.
If this wasn’t scary enough, PepsiCo’s CSO comments that ‘Half of the world’s population will face water scarcity as soon as 2025. It’s time everyone does their part in addressing the global water crisis'
Water much like access to energy is a fundamental human right.
So when there is a scarcity of it in the world; why should we be interested in an energy carrier production that uses clean water?
Many Hydrogen observers have shared concerns about the hydrogen economy increasing the already existing water stress, but Hydrogen weighs the H20 supply just by a minimum compared to other demands…Read my post on ‘Why Hydrogen in Africa ?’
If green hydrogen production is not the biggest threat to water security, then what is?
Agriculture: is one of the biggest sources of water contamination, with fertilizers, animal waste and pesticides washed into waterways by rain.
Industrial use: the demand for consumption is bringing about more fabricating, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting of many products. Towards global industrialization, the need for building materials - water is used in the production of cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete, washing gravel and sand. There’s also the oil and gas industry that consumes water that is used to drill and hydraulically fracture (“frack”) wells, refine and process. Feed water is used in boilers and cooling towers to ensure efficiency, maximise boiler and system life, and reduce maintenance costs.
Water consumption of hydrogen in 2050 compared with selected today (bn m3) - IRENA
How Hydrogen Could support re-vitalizing Water stress?
Nations within the Sub-Saharan Africa region with water stress have put in place state-of-the-art desalination facilities to take away mineral components from saline water to fresh water. This existing know-how fills the gap for technological advancement in countries like Namibia (the first green hydrogen production plant), so rather than taking the clean water available, there is the refining of saline water for hydrogen production. The process is known as desalination and has been used for decades since humans cannot drink saline (sea salt) water. According to the International Desalination Association, globally, more than 300 million people receive their water from desalination plants.
There are also other water purification methods like reverse osmosis whereby water containing dissolved salt molecules, is forced through a filter, in which the larger salt molecules do not get through the membrane holes but the smaller water molecules do.
Water Desalination requires high energy consumption to operate, and technology is also subsequently costly. The highest demand for desalinated water is in the Middle East, which uses about 70% of the worldwide capacity of the technology, building towards a role in the hydrogen economy)
Recognizing Hydrogen Economy is not the biggest threat to water
The main priority for many nations is finding technology and nature-based solutions to reduce the limitations to access to water. So no, Hydrogen is not going to swap up the water supply…it could even be a catalyst for water purification in certain regions.
🎊 Happy World Water Day 2023! #UN2023waterconference 💦
READ MORE: See how innovation is used to improve access to clean water.
World Water Day | World Water Day 2023
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Oghosa