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The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy
A book by Darryl McMahon


Last updated 2022.11.15
We Have a Winner!!
Dateline: San Francisco CA - Thursday May 12, 2011 - The International Green Book Festival announced
the results of its competition, and awarded The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy with Runner-up
(second place) in the non-fiction category, coming in ahead of entries by many notable 'green' authors
such as David Suzuki.
A Personal Energy Plan will save you money now,
and in the future as energy prices rise again
The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy
and the hydrogen economy in the news
October 2021It's a long time since I revisited my book or this part of the website. It was always
my intention that the book was strong enough, backed copiously with solid research citations, that it would
would stand on its own. In the past year, I have seen a resurgence in the hydrogen hype, unaccompanied by
any substantive advances in the technology. Other than a 'hail mary' by the nuclear and fossil fuel
industries (notably fracked natural gas) to soak up more taxpayer money to greenwash their dismal
businesses, I don't understand the play. The technology is substantially
the same as it was 150 years ago, with incremental improvements. But the fundamentals of the laws of
thermodynamics and economics have not changed.
I have also had multiple requests to update and republish the book. I recently went through the book
again, and it has held up remarkably well over 15 years. I will happily update the book if someone wants
to pay for my time to do so. Otherwise, not interested. It's still a solid read, educational and
occasionally entertaining as is.
I was asked to do an update presentation to a group of which I am a member starting a year ago. I relented
this past spring, but have not published the slide deck until now, because I did not have the time to deal with
the flame wars that would ensue. I HAVE been here before.
Anyway, with winter approaching, I may have a bit more time for this, as COVID-19 seems to continue
pushing off work on my other projects to infinity. Here's the slide deck, and possibly in future some
additional articles which shine the reality light on the hydrogen hype. (Intermittent and as time permits)
The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy - Update 15 years on (March, 2021) (PowerPoint PPSX file)
How green is blue hydrogen? April 2021
TL;DR "This best-case scenario for producing blue hydrogen, using renewable electricity instead of
natural gas to power the processes, suggests to us that there really is no role for blue hydrogen in
a carbon- free future. Greenhouse gas emissions remain high, and there would also be a substantial
consumption of renewable electricity, which represents an opportunity cost. We believe the renewable
electricity could be better used by society in other ways, replacing the use of fossil fuels."
October 28, 2021 - This is a bit of a slog - about 3 hours - but it's an eye-opening reality check from the
conference on Hydrogen (what's needed to make the hydgrogen economy real). TL;DR - it's not ready, funding
is a huge problem because lenders see the technology as very risky, and while taking climate change
seriously is necessary to give the hydrogen economy a push forward, the case for hydrogen as a climate
change solution is shaky.
One speaker (starting at about the 44 minute mark) doesn't even address typical
ground transportation as a niche for hydrogen fuel. For those with real skin in the game, it must
be clear that plug-in battery and grid-connected electric drive has already captured that market.
He speaks to heavy industry, long-haul transport, and maritime sectors as the key markets for
hydrogen fuelling sometime after 2030.
This assumes that 'direct electrification' technology will
remain stuck in circa 2020 commercial technology levels. That is a poor assumption as battery
technology continues to improve dramatically year over year. Electric long-haul transport is being
implemented now with Class-8 battery trucks and electrified highways. There are already battery
electric ferries in commercial service. The potential for using biofuels is completely ignored.
The world is already building infrastructure for liquified natural gas, not only for more compact
transport, but also fueling ships. LNG may be a 'bridge fuel', but it will likely appear in
precisely the time window to obliterate any niche for hydrogen fuel. LNG based on bio-methane
may have a longer life than fossil methane depending on GHG-reduction incentives. Heavy industry will use
whatever energy source is available and provides maximum financial advantage. Hydrogen will not
be a winner on financials.
Industry promoters still can't bring themselves to give straight answers about
GHG emissions, continually blurring the impacts of grey vs. blue vs. green hydrogen. A bit problem
for green hydrogen is that there simply isn't enough primary green energy available to power the
electrolysis. (My addendum: because it takes 7 times as much energy to power the green hydrogen
energy cycle as it does to use green primary energy to charge batteries and power homes, industry
and transportation. See my March 2021 PowerPoint deck referenced above.)
Hydrogen - Is it rocket science? (Wikborg|Rein)
October 31st, 2021 - It is not only All Hallows Eve, but scarier still, it is also the eve of the Conference of the Parties
26th annual gathering of the apologists and deniers (COP 26) creating massive GHGs from jet travel
for the self-congratulatory PR fest for the powers that be, and where true advocates and problem
solvers are left outside the gates. I'll state now that the end-of-event statement will once again
mouth platitudes about the scope of the problem, that we must act now, and then serve up zero hard
commitments that any government or corporate entity will have to stand to account for, or suffer any
penalties for simply continuing the charade as staged regularly since Rio. Happy to have saved you
some time with this spoiler.
November 2021
November 3rd, 2021 - One of the purported future uses for (green) hydrogen is to inject it into
existing natural gas pipelines for use as a heating fuel to reduce the carbon content of the
delivered heating fuel. As I cover in my
book, hydrogen is the smallest element, difficult to contain and highly reactive. That means,
hydrogen gas - as would be injected into the pipeline infrastructure and into homes and businesses -
is very hard to contain and really likes to catch fire or explode.
This white paper, "The H2 readiness of gas shut-off valves in gas meters" (Author: Stephan Brückner,
Johnson Electric Smart Metering) contains thiis paragraph:
"To achieve an unlimited infeed of hydrogen in gas distribution networks, all the links in the supply
chain will need to be H2 ready – from the entry point through to the exit point where the gas will
be used. Intrinsic infrastructure components and materials will have to be investigated and tested
for specific compatibility limits with hydrogen admixtures and pure hydrogen."
(paper can be downloaded
here)
Think about that for a moment. Think of the enormity of what that implies. Every steel pipe
in the NG distribution grid will have to be lined, sealed or replaced to avoid embrittlement. Every
connection will have to be replaced. Every cut-off valve will have to be replaced. Where will all
that "H2-ready" gear come from in a very short period? Where will the workforce come from?
And it has to be a short period, because
the distribution network can't distinguish between NG with H2 in it and NG without. Once the H2
starts to be injected, it will be present everywhere within minutes to days. There is no gradual
phase-in option for H2 being fed into the distribution network; it's effectively a instantaneous
cut-over with the first feed-in.
I think it's a safe bet that the hydrogen energy advocates are not posting that as a
headline for their fantasy energy nirvana posters. Because it means they can't simply
piggyback on the existing NG distribution infrastructure, they'll have to replace it.
But it begs a more fundamental question, What is the benefit of putting hydrogen into a
natural gas distribution network? It's not GHG emissions reductions. In a world where there
isn't enough renewable electricity to go around, we're not going to use 7 times as much to
make 'green' hydrogen to mix with methane to make a slightly less potent GHG energy carrier.
So, that's going to be blue or grey hydrogen, which means we stripped off the carbon molecules
upstream somewhere, but they're still being created, just not at point of use. If the objective
is heating from green sources, we'll be much better off using electricity to the point of use
to power heat pumps for space and water heating. For industrial process heat, it will depend
on the desired temperature as to the device used: heat-pump; resistance heating or electric
plasma or electric blast furnaces. They're all off-the-shelf tech today, and don't require
replacing an existing infrastructure to deploy.
June 2022
June 29, 2022 - One of the purported future uses for (green) hydrogen is to inject it into
existing natural gas pipelines for use as a heating fuel to reduce the carbon content of the
delivered heating fuel. As I cover in my
book, hydrogen is the smallest element, difficult to contain and highly reactive. That means,
hydrogen gas - as would be injected into the pipeline infrastructure and into homes and businesses -
is very hard to contain and really likes to catch fire or explode.
Here is a report
from the Physicians for Social Responsibility titled "Hydrogen Pipe Dreams: Why Burning Hydrogen in
Buildings is Bad for Climate and Health. The report's summary begins with:
"Fossil fuel companies are advocating blending hydrogen with “natural” gas (methane) for cooking and
space and water heating. They claim this will generate heat while lowering the carbon footprint of the
methane gas system. In fact, it will not."
The 30-page report then sets out the logic and evidence used to reach their conclusion.
I liked this paragraph which addresses industry blurring of green hydrogen with fossil-fuel
derived hydrogen.
"While burning green hydrogen (produced from renewable energy) is an inefficient, costly way to
heat buildings, green hydrogen is very useful for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify industries.
In fact, it is critical that we reserve the limited supply of green hydrogen for applications for
which it is indispensable, such as fertilizer production. It also has potential for use in steel
production, electric grid power-balancing, and long-distance transport, including trucking, shipping,
and aviation. Using limited supplies of green hydrogen to inefficiently heat homes and businesses
wastes this valuable resource.
August 2022
August 8, 2022 - When even the Mop&Pail, Canada's chief fossil fuels media cheerleader can understand, it speaks poorly
of the Canadian federal government not being able to read their own briefing papers. This is the
headline: "Repurposing LNG infrastructure for hydrogen exports is not realistic". It's well past
time for the feds to stop pandering to the oil & gas industry and look at the evidence and statements
from real experts rather than industry shills.
Let me keep it simple for you:
1) Hydrogen made from methane / natural gas ('blue' hydrogen) is not 'green' or clean. Period.
Stop blurring the lines.
2) Hydrogen is MUCH harder to contain than natural gas; it is not economically feasible to
"repurpose" NG pipelines to carry hydrogen.
3) Using 'green' electricity to make hydrogen is only 1/7th as efficient as putting the electricity
in a battery in terms of energy cycle efficiency. (There isn't enough 'green' electricity available
to support a hydrogen energy cycle on a mass scale.) Nor can we afford the additional waste heat
from all the conversion losses (mulitple conversion processes) on a warming planet.
4) Government support for a hydrogen export industry is just another multi-billion dollar subsidy from
taxpayers to the oil and gas industry.
August 11, 2022 - Natural gas does not make 'green' hydrogen, and the existing NG infrastructure
is NOT suitable for carrying hydrogen
This article is a refreshing dose of reality on the Canadian government's hydrogen pipedream. (National Observer)
This quote from Paul Martin (Hydrogen Science Coalition) on the plan to repurpose natural gas infrastructue to carry hydrogen kind of
sums up the dangerous fantasy the oil & gas industry and their government cheerleaders are spinning:
“It's so factually incorrect that it kind of drives you crazy to hear people say it.”
Blue hydrogen is not 'clean' in terms of climate change GHG emissions or environmental contamination.
People in positions of authority have to stop saying it is.
September 2022
September 3, 2022 - NASA has been working with hydrogen in large quantities for a long time.
So it should serve as a stark warning when even they have trouble with it in a high profile situation.
Years after shuttle, NASA rediscovers the perils of liquid hydrogen (ArsTechica)
Despite the nascent hydrogen energy sector playing down the risks, they are not neglible, and must not
be underestimated, let alone ignored, in the mad rush to chase the hydrogen mirage.
September 20, 2022 - The ‘hydrogen hyperbole epidemic’ comes to Nova Scotia
There are some sane voices quoted in this
Halifax Examiner article. You should just read it.
I'm all in favour of NS developing more in-province renewable energy resources. However, at the current
state of the 'green hydrogen' technology and the need for the world to shift away from burning
fossil carbon, we can't afford to waste that green energy on making a lot of heat and a little hydrogen.
Much better to use that renewable very-low-GHG energy to displace high-GHG energy production.
September 20, 2022 - Fuelling homes with hydrogen is a pretty lame idea with terrible financials.
That's why the hydrogen industry (read oil and gas industry looking for a halo) is letting taxpayers foot the bill.
‘World-first’ hydrogen project raises questions about its role in fuelling future homes (The Guardian)
"On the northern shores of the Firth of Forth, royal blue waters lap against the weathered walls
of Methil Docks. The quays were once a hub for coal exports but, since the late 1970s, haven’t
dealt in the black stuff. Now, the town on Scotland’s east coast is flirting with another era
in the energy industry – but it doesn’t appear to be going to plan." The take at the end of
the article is interesting: that hydrogen house heating will be for low income areas, while
affluent areas will get better technology which we already know works (heat pumps, solar panels,
deep energy efficiency housing designs ...). Kind of like how we design poor neighbourhoods
to be downwind of refineries and other emitting industries.
September 21, 2022 - Shouldn't the priority be displacing fossil fuel use in NS with green electricity?
Nova Scotia announces plan for hydrogen made from offshore wind, but confirms majority of energy
will be sent elsewhere (National Observer)
I'm all for producing more green electricity and displacing fossil fuel use, such as powering heat
pumps for heating houses instead of heating oil. That would reduce energy costs for residents,
reduce GHG emissions, and reduce payments leaving the province to pay for foreign energy, thus
strengthening the provincial economy (financial independence, energy indepence, resilience.
When the domestic needs are fulfilled, definitely look to export green electricity to export markets.
But, given the massive conversion losses associated with hydrogen production / storage / transport / use,
this should really be the last option explored, especially with taxpayer money as we enter a recession.
December 2022
December 22, 2022 - "At least four studies published this year say hydrogen loses its environmental
edge when it seeps into the atmosphere. Two scientists told Reuters that if 10% leaks during its production,
transportation, storage or use, the benefits of using green hydrogen over fossil fuels would be completely
wiped out."
So a couple of things about that statement. 1) hydrogen is about the leakiest gas on the planet, being the
absolute smallest molecule we know. 2) If it's not a massive win for efficiency and reducing GHG emissions
(and it strikes out on both of those), why bother with the massive investments required to make it even
remotely accessible on a large scale? Note, the energy industry doesn't want to risk that expenditure,
which is why it looks to taxpayers to fund fueling stations, pipelines and research. Meanwhile, back in
reality, wind and solar energy are available off-the-shelf today, as are more efficient batteries and thermal
energy storage, and are already compatible with the electrical grid or heating systems. The hydrogen mirage's
key strength is that it is a distraction from better solutions we should be implementing now.
Has green hydrogen sprung a leak? (Reuters)
December 29, 2022 -Uh-oh. Somebody else read some facts, and is sticking another pin the the hyprogen bubble.
And this version of the report on the recent studies also notes that 'green hydrogen' is a rare beast, and
is not growing significantly. I'll add, we can't afford to waste green energy on the massive conversion
losses involved in making, storing, transporting and using hydrrogen.
However, for those of you investing in the bubble, not to worry yet. The oil industry is still pushing
governments to use taxpayer money to continue inflating the bubble as it is a key piece of their greenwashing /
denial-deistraction-delay tactics to keep the world hooked on oil and blue/grey natural gas.
Green hydrogen: Fuel of the future has ‘big potential’ but a worrying blind spot, scientists warn (EuroNews)
January 2023
January 11, 2023 A 20-minute video on YouTube which does a quick review of the hydrogen
energy cycle. Pretty concise, and likely worth a look if the topic of practicality and actual
GHG impacts are of interest to you. If you have a hydrogen advocate in your circle who can't
be bothered with the details (why it really isn't a good path forward), feel free to share.
Hydrogen Will Not Save Us. Here's Why.
January 3, 2023 Somebody is revving up the hyprogen engine again, mostly because the oil and
gas sector is taking another PR beating (price gouging, climate change, pipeline leaks, fugitive
emissions are all in the news). However, some other folks are also waking up to the hydrogen PR mirage
and starting to call it out.
Renault’s Hydrogen Fantasy Debunked (CleanTechnica)
The facts and calculations set out in this piece extend to hydrogen vehicles in general, not just Renault.
January 4, 2023 Uh-oh. Time for more reality checking on hyprogen. This is how the 'hydrogen economy' works;
the oil industry forces governments to use taxpayer money to pay for everything because the promoters
know it really won't work as an energy 'economy'. So taxpayers pick up the tab for the continued
fantasy mirage, while funds are sucked away from better options (drop-in biofuels, electric vehicles),
which are already cost effective on a total cost of ownership basis and available off-the-shelf now.
If the oil and gas industry (the real 'hydrogen economy' today) really believed in hydrogen as a replacement
fuel, they would be funding the roll-out of infrastructure and production facilities, not leaving it to
taxpayers to pick up the never-ending tab.
India OKs $2 bln incentive plan for green hydrogen industry (Reuters)
If you think India is going to make 'green hydrogen', note a couple of things.
a) India has routine shortages of electricity nation-wide.
b) Over 80% of India's electricity is generated from 'thermal' sources (coal, oil, gas),
which is black, grey and blue hydrogen, not green, and it's getting worse over time.
January 11, 2023 A 20-minute video on YouTube which does a quick review of the hydrogen
energy cycle. Pretty concise, and likely worth a look if the topic of practicality and actual
GHG impacts are of interest to you. If you have a hydrogen advocate in your circle who can't
be bothered with the details (why it really isn't a good path forward), feel free to share.
Hydrogen Will Not Save Us. Here's Why.
January 25, 2023
Report: Japan's "hydrogen society" policy "has clearly been a complete failure" (New Atlas)
January 27, 2023
Why hydrogen cars are not the answer (The Car Expert)
February 2023
February 10, 2023
Don’t let hydrogen tax credit become a fossil fuel subsidy, academics, civil society groups tell Ottawa (National Observer)
February 22, 2023
Risk of ‘death spiral’ for Enbridge increases: rate hike application (National Observer)
Q: How is a multi-national conglomerate that can't afford to maintain its current natural gas pipeline infrastructure
going to afford to put in an entire new hydrogen-safe network when there is no proven market for hydrogen as a fuel?
A: They're not, so this will be just one more taxpayer subsidy doled out by complicit governments to the oil industry.
Hydrogen is 99% made from fossil fuels, so it's just a proxy for coal, oil and natural gas. Despite the 'green hydrogen'
hype, that's not going to change appreciably in the next decade. So, we can continue subsidizing the the fossil fuels
sector, currently reaping record profits due to price-gouging consumers, or try something rational for a change.
The Aspriation Toxicity hazard is Category 1: the most hazardous level.
March 2023
March 12, 2023
Green hydrogen: Inside global race to turn water into fuel (The Buffalo News)
Even the advocates have doubts. I hope that Andrew Forrest hs something more elegant in mind when mixing hydrogen
and carbon dioxide than the Sabatier reaction, which essentially gives you methane and water.
Methane is essentially natural gas, which takes us back to the issues of fossil fuels. Water is what was
originally split (electrolysis) to make the hydrogen. Presumably he doesn't mean ammonia as a carrier,
as that involved nitrogen, not carbon dioxide. Anyway, whatever his plan is for "it's just that simple",
he doesn't reveal it in the article, or anywhere else on the web that I could find in 30 minutes of web searching.
Fortescue Future Inddustries own website on green hydrogen transportation does not mention anything about
mixing with carbon dioxide, just the boring stuff we already know (compression, liquefaction, ammonia, syngas
LOHCs and MCH. If you think there are issues with being around ammonia (and there are), you should read the
materials safety data sheet -
MSDS - on methylcyclohaxane. For something that will be moved by ocean-going tanker ship,
this phrase might be troubling to some: "Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects".
We still have better options (lower environmental impacts, lower cost, lower conversion losses
already available off-the-shelf.
The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy now cited by
[*dead link: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/resources/db/higheredcatalogs/H2.do?state=book&bookId=195"
the U.S. Department of Energy as a textbook on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology
Autobloggreen
article on The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy 2007.01.13
A Local Review
The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy by Darryl McMahon
This book is a great read for the energy conscious person who is concerned with the environment
and how ours and future generations will cope with our depleting fossil fuels. At present, McMahon
believes hydrogen is not the answer. He reviews the many ways that hydrogen can be produced.
McMahon points out that although hydrogen is an exceptional environmentally friendly fuel, its
production uses fossil fuels which contribute to global warming. Hydrogen is not viable at present
but can be a very clean and efficient 'future fuel' when technology finds ways of manufacturing it
using alternative energy sources.
With the world's fossil fuel supply quickly running out, the author uses the latter portion of
the book to suggest ways of conserving energy. This section is a must read for everyone who wants
to use less energy and save money at the same time. ( Peter Bayfield )
Edmonton (Alberta) Outlets for the Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy
Audrey's Books 10702 Jasper Avenue NW
North Bay (Ontario) Outlets for The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy
[Link has bitrotted: http://www.gulliversbookstore.com] Gulliver's Books 157 Main Street West
Ottawa Outlets for The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy
Check your favourite bookstore to get your copy of The
Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy to prepare yourself for a future of
rising energy prices.
Arbour Environmental
Shoppe (800 Bank Street)
Ridemore 456 McArthur (at St. Laurent)
Perfect Books (258
Elgin Street, near MacLaren)
(If your favourite store for new books does not have The
Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy, ask them to get it for you.)
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