Why hydrogen as a natural gas substitute is a fairy tale - KS

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Why hydrogen as a natural gas substitute is a fairy tale October 15, 2022 Kalte Sonne This is the title of an article in Telepolis (Heise).

“A problem that is mostly ignored in the hydrogen discussion is that the existing gas networks are not suitable for feeding in large amounts of hydrogen. The scientific service of the Bundestag had already dealt with the question in the past. He came to the conclusion that “unlimited amounts of methane” could be introduced into the gas networks. But: "For hydrogen produced by electrolysis, the limits are currently 1-10 percent by volume," according to the expertise of the Bundestag's Scientific Service.

A well-known problem in materials research is that hydrogen causes metals to become brittle. Many of the currently installed pipeline steels react to contact with hydrogen by significantly reducing the elongation at break and hydrogen embrittlement.”

The article also takes a critical view of heating with hydrogen: “In comparison, using hydrogen to heat homes is less economical, less efficient, more resource-intensive and also has a greater environmental impact,” argues Rosenow.

In reality, however, the alternative is not as “green”, as hydrogen is often called.

Among other things, it is pointed out that significant technical changes would also be required in households, including the pipes in the houses, among other things because of brittleness. That would also cost households an enormous amount of money.

In addition, using electricity from renewable sources to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen is highly inefficient. "In the UK, heating homes with green hydrogen would use around six times more renewable electricity than heat pumps," David Cebon, of the Hydrogen Science Coalition and professor of mechanical engineering at Cambridge University, tells the BBC.

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"We have neither the time nor the resources to further investigate the role of hydrogen in heating homes, especially when the laws of thermodynamics are observed," he added. +++ Thomas Leisner from KIT Karlsruhe gave another exciting lecture at the 4pi Sympoium: Climate and climate control . Among other things, he goes into geo-engineering in the form of influencing clouds. Leisner shows the problems with such considerations very clearly.

(Figure: Screenshot YouTube) +++ Who is to blame for the gas crisis? For the economist Professor Hans-Werner Sinn it is the energy transition. On his website you can read an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, where he explains his point of view.

Prof. Dr. Sinn, Economics Minister Habeck recently said that the model of dependence on "cheap" Russian gas had failed. Is the liberal economic approach of the Federal Republic to blame? The liberal gas market has opted for the cheapest product.

No, the Russian gas won its dominant position because of the green energy transition, i.e. for political reasons. Since wind and solar energy are very volatile, controllable, conventional power plants are needed to fill the gaps during the frequent, long-lasting 2

dark lulls, and that to the full extent of Germany's electricity requirements. Politicians wanted to switch off the coal and nuclear power plants, so the producers were left with expensive gas. The disastrous dependency on Russian gas is the collateral damage of a carelessly organized energy transition.

Minister Habeck now wants to rid Germany of “cheap” Russian gas and is therefore defending the gas surcharge. Do you want to fight inflation here with even higher gas prices?

The German population has to bear the high gas prices, because the good Lord won't help them. When gas is scarce, prices have to rise to contain consumption. Otherwise the gas would have to be rationed, but this creates chaos in the economy because the state cannot know who can easily do without and who cannot. +++ A terrifying example of how to reverse cause and effect is provided by the mirror . He reports on a report by the WMO, the UN weather agency. Interestingly, the nuclear power plants, which clearly produce low-CO2 electricity, are specifically discussed.

What might the WMO think about the German way of putting more and more coal-fired power plants into operation?

“In order to achieve the 1.5 degree target, the global community is actually striving to only cause as many carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 as can be offset (net zero emissions). But not enough is being done, warns the WMO. According to current plans, only 30 percent of the emission reductions required to achieve the target by 2030 would be achieved ."

But the WMO also thinks that the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine is a blessing, as we have just read . But it can be even better. Climate for peace, the idea came from Foreign Minister Baerbock, according to Radiovest .

“Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock believes that increased efforts in the fight against climate change are also necessary for reasons of international security. The measures planned by governments are ultimately also about peace, said the Green politician in Berlin at the start of a conference on climate and security organized by Germany. The meeting will launch the Climate for Peace Initiative, which aims to better align resources and create synergies .”

What happens if, for whatever reason, China no longer sells solar modules to Europe?

Will there be war then? +++

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Dare more nuclear power. The FAZ reviewed the book " Atomic Power Yes Please " by Anna Veronika Wendland.

“Nuclear power could meet the increasing demand for clean energy, for example to generate enough green hydrogen by electrolysis in Germany, to operate the many heat pumps or to charge all future electric cars and to decarbonize industry. As a nuclear power advocate, Wendland is also in favor of the rapid expansion of wind power and solar systems. She complains that the promotion of renewable energies through the EEG law has pushed the dismantling of nuclear energy, which means that a decade of climate protection has been wasted.

It would have made more sense to reduce coal-fired power generation first. If, in 2000, when nuclear energy still accounted for almost thirty percent of CO2-free electricity generation, the renewables would have been based on this base, according to Wendland, the proportion of low-CO2 power sources would be eighty percent today - and the goal that the federal government target for 2030 would have already been achieved. In addition, because there would be sufficient affordable CO2-free electricity available, one would be far less dependent on gas, oil and coal than today.” +++ The postilion doesn't seem to lose his sense of humor even in difficult times.

Damned! Gas holders are now so full that the first ones fly away "Yes, well that's a bit unfavorable now, of course," admitted Economics Minister Robert Habeck in the Tagesschau after the loss of 62 gas storage facilities across Germany had already been reported. "So far, things have never been filled up so we weren't prepared for such a situation."

In hindsight, one is of course wiser, said the minister. "The operators should have moored the gas storage properly or weighed it down with sandbags," explained Habeck. "This is also being done for all gas storage facilities that are still on the ground."

The serious report is, of course, that the gas storage facilities in Germany are more than 95% full.

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