" Latin America’s wealth of hydroelectricity and other renewable energy resources could make the region a major producer of clean hydrogen "
“Latin American countries are poised to benefit as European and Asian countries need to bite the bullet and start signing contracts for “substantial quantities” of hydrogen”
" Clean hydrogen is currently much more expensive - north of $10 per kilogram in some places - than more contaminating hydrogen, said Luisa Palacios, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
Gray hydrogen generated from fossil fuels currently costs as little as $1 to $3 per kilogram, Palacios added.
But Gischler said re-purposing existing assets such as pipelines or building shared infrastructure could push clean hydrogen costs in Latin America down to $1.50 to $2.50 per kilogram."
A review of challenges with using the natural gas system for hydrogen
Martin et al. https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ese3.1861
Replacing natural gas with zero- and low-carbon hydrogen is viewed by many as an attractive decarbonization tool, because it can potentially re-use expensive infrastructure of considerable economic value. However, this paper has shown that there are numerous unresolved challenges with using hydrogen in the existing natural gas infrastructure due to its differing physical and chemical qualities compared to methane, the main component of natural gas. These differences have major implications for the entire natural gas value chain—encompassing production, long-distance transport, local distribution, storage and end use…
Although many of the concerns associated with deploying pure hydrogen energy systems can be mitigated by blending hydrogen with natural gas, doing so will not help decarbonize the economy as it does not facilitate a gradual transition to pure hydrogen, and it only offers a small reduction in GHG emissions. The benefits from reduced GHG emissions are limited due to the greatly lower volumetric energy density of hydrogen…
Overall, while repurposing the natural gas system for use with hydrogen may, at first, seem appealing, the limited practicality, risks, and data gaps strongly suggest that like-for-like gas substitution provides limited benefits for increased risks, even if major technical and economic hurdles are overcome.
I think we recognize that EVs are not suitable for all our transportation needs. Like heavy trucks, locomotives, airplanes. At present hydrogen is the best alternative (but fermentation ethanol looks attractive to me).
Two major problems. Cost and distribution. Much lower cost from abundant low cost electricity looks attractive to me. Distribution through existing natural gas has advantages. But your article points out investment will be required. It won’t be free.
But we hope much less costly than a whole new hydrogen distribution system.
Many of those articles also describe fierce opposition to hydropower by environmental groups, and groups representing indigenous peoples who are impacted by the dams.
Just one example…
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There is also an argument that hydroelectric projects in rain forests may not actually reduce greenhouse gases much. When the rain forests are flooded, the plants die and rot. The rotting vegetation then emits lots of methane, which is a much worse greenhouse gas than CO2.