AN ECONOMY BASED ON HYDROGEN AND ITS UTILIZATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGIES

Abstract

A great technological advent is the use of renewable energies with the objective of promoting the migration of the world energy matrix. For this, alternatives to generate and store energy are sought. Among them, the use of hydrogen stands out - the most abundant chemical element in our universe - produced from various sources, such as natural gas, biomass and water electrolysis, making it a viable option as a renewable fuel, in addition to being considered a source of clean energy, as its burning does not emit gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main responsible for global warming. In addition, hydrogen can be used in a range of applications, including transportation, power generation, heating and industry, making it versatile with fossil fuels. Its intrinsic properties such as its high energy density become advantageous from the perspective of the economy based on hydrogen. When used in fuel cells, it can generate electricity efficiently and without pollutants, after all, the only emission from the fuel cell system is water. The most common way to produce hydrogen is from natural gas, through a process called steam reforming, where methane from natural gas is combined with water vapor to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide as a by-product. However, this approach still emits CO₂, in a smaller amount, when compared to the direct burning of fossil fuels. Another option is the production of hydrogen from biomass, such as agricultural and forestry waste, through gasification processes or anaerobic fermentation, which can be neutral in terms of CO₂ emissions, as the carbon released during production is offset by the carbon absorbed. by plants during their growth. In addition, water electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, is another option for producing hydrogen without CO₂ emissions when the electricity used comes from renewable sources. With its vast production, hydrogen can be used as a form of renewable energy storage, after all, one of the main limitations of renewable energies, such as solar and wind, is their intermittency, that is, energy generation depends on climatic conditions. Hydrogen can be produced when there is a surplus of renewable energy available, being stored in liquid or gaseous form, in large spoons, facilitating its transport for later use, and also, meeting the growing world energy demand.