How do hydrogen fuel cells work?
Decarbonising Power Production
Replacing or blending natural gas with renewable or low carbon hydrogen can help the power production industry significantly lower their carbon emissions and meet sustainability goals. Some applications reliant on fossil fuels—peaking, backup power, or geographically distributed power—will require hydrogen to eliminate emissions while matching electricity supply with demand.
As the leading supplier of hydrogen globally, Air Products is here to support your decarbonisation needs.
As the leading supplier of hydrogen globally, Air Products is here to support your decarbonisation needs.
How can low carbon hydrogen help decarbonise power production?
Power generation is a broad industry ranging from large-scale utility generation to small-scale on-site primary or backup power generation. Hydrogen can be used in place of fossil fuels to reduce combustion-based power generation emissions, or it can be used in fuel cell applications to stabilise grids during peak times or power microgrids.
Hydrogen fuel cells are employed as backup power sources for cell towers and data centers. They can also be used in power generation equipment for construction, remote monitoring, broadcasting, and public events. Hydrogen fuel cells can also be used to power unmanned ariel vehicles (UAVs), offering longer flight durations and reducing the environmental impact compared to traditional batteries.
Decarbonising Combustion-based Power Production with Hydrogen
In combustion-based power generation, fossil fuels like coal or natural gas are burned, creating steam which turns a turbine to produce electricity. Hydrogen can displace or replace the fossil fuels combusted in power generation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to zero. Swipe to learn how.
Renewable Energy
Clean, renewable energy from wind, solar, or hydropower is generated with zero emissions.
Electrolysis Separates Water into Hydrogen + Oxygen Gas
Electrolysis separates water molecules (H₂O) into hydrogen and oxygen gas (H₂ + O₂), creating hydrogen molecules produced with low to zero carbon.
Hydrogen is Combusted, Creating Steam to Turn Turbines
Low or zero carbon hydrogen displaces fossil fuels in the combustion process to propel turbines for power generation.
Hydrogen-powered Turbines
Hydrogen-powered turbines create low- to zero-emissions power.
Hydrogen-based Electricity Helps Stabilise Grid Power Supply with Demand
Hydrogen-based power generation helps with load balancing and grid stabilisation in a highly electrified system, helping to smooth out supply-demand imbalances between power generation and electricity usage.
Grid Stabilisation + Energy Storage
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), “Hydrogen can also support the integration of variable renewables in the electricity system, being one of the few options for storing energy over days, weeks or months.”* To that end, hydrogen-powered electricity generation can effectively support load balancing in a heavily electrified system, helping to smooth out supply-demand imbalances between electricity generation and use.
Low Carbon Hydrogen for Power Generation Applications
Introducing hydrogen can provide incremental benefits in carbon emissions reduction on the way to full conversion and decarbonisation.
Gas Turbines
Gas turbines are a staple of the power generation industry, and the ability to convert natural gas to a low carbon feed will be crucial to decarbonising the grid.
Steam Boilers
Commercial and industrial–scale boilers can be served on a consistent basis with high-density liquid hydrogen supply without having to add supplemental capital to achieve high pressures.
Combustion Engines
Most power generation combustion engines are fueled by diesel or natural gas today, but introducing hydrogen or hydrogen blends can help decarbonise these back-up power solutions.
Fuel Cells
Fuel cells are often thought of first as a mobility application; however, they are useful in decarbonising stationary power generation.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Power Generation
A variety of fuel cell technologies are being used today for distributed power generation. These fuel cells use natural gas, biogas or hydrogen as the primary feedstock into the generator. Applications that are amenable for fuel cell-based power production are:
- Primary power
- Back-up power
- Peak-shaving
- Grid stabilization
- Tri-generation (power, heat and hydrogen)
Generating a Cleaner Future
Talk to one of our industry experts today about how we can help you decarbonise your operations.