Introduction: The Invisible Giant

While hydrogen is often discussed as a future fuel for cars and planes, it is already an “invisible giant” in today’s global economy. We currently produce and consume over 90 million metric tons of hydrogen every year.

However, about 99% of this is “gray” or “brown” hydrogen made from fossil fuels. The mission now is to swap this carbon-heavy hydrogen for “green” versions to clean up the world’s most energy-intensive industries.

1. Agriculture: Feeding the World (Ammonia)

The largest single use of hydrogen is the production of ammonia, which accounts for roughly 55% of global hydrogen use.

• The Process: Hydrogen is combined with nitrogen from the air using the Haber-Bosch process.

• The Goal: Most of this ammonia is used to create synthetic fertilizers. Without this process, global food production would collapse, but it currently accounts for about 1.8% of global emissions.

• The Future: Switching to green ammonia is the fastest way to decarbonize the global food supply chain.

2. Oil Refining: Cleaning Our Fuels

Refineries are the second-largest consumers, using about 25% of global hydrogen.

• Hydrodesulfurization: Hydrogen is used to remove sulfur from crude oil. This is critical for meeting environmental standards and reducing acid rain.

• Hydrocracking: Hydrogen helps “crack” heavy, low-value oil molecules into high-value fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

3. Steel: The “Green Steel” Revolution

Traditionally, steel is made by burning coal (coke) to remove oxygen from iron ore, a process that releases massive amounts of Carbon.

• The Hydrogen Route: Hydrogen can replace coal as the “reducing agent”. Instead of, the only byproduct of this chemical reaction is water vapor.

• Scale: The steel industry is one of the hardest to abate, but “Green Steel” projects are already launching in Europe and Asia to reach net-zero goals.

4. Chemicals and Manufacturing

Hydrogen is a versatile building block used in dozens of other niches:

• Methanol: Used to make plastics, resins, and synthetic fibers.

• Food Industry: Used in the “hydrogenation” of fats and oils (turning liquid oils into solids like margarine).

• Electronics: Used as a protective atmosphere during the manufacturing of high-purity silicon chips.

• Glass: Used in the production of flat glass to prevent oxidation.

Conclusion

Industry isn’t just a future market for hydrogen; it is the current market. By focusing on these existing industrial “hubs,” we can create the initial demand needed to scale up green hydrogen production and bring down costs for everyone else.

Next Up: We’ve seen it in the factory; now let’s see it on the road. In Article 9, we ask: How can hydrogen be used in transportation?