Matthieu Guesné, Lhyfe, France, looks at the development of offshore green hydrogen, and the role it will play in the decarbonisation of the mobility and industrial sectors.
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articipants at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, pledged to put the planet on a 2.4˚C global warming trajectory, even though the 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit warming to 2˚C or even 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels. For their part, CO2 concentrations have increased by 47% since 1850. This is the highest level in 2 million years. There is a need to be more ambitious and to act immediately. Hydrogen is one of the many solutions that can help to achieve these climate goals. But under which conditions? Hydrogen is a source of energy which offers all the advantages of petroleum and gas without their disadvantages: it is highly concentrated, it can be transported and stored, and it provides energy without emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs). Containing three times more energy per kg than petrol/gas, hydrogen is now a genuine alternative to fossil fuels for certain uses. The use of hydrogen is particularly relevant:
F For mobility, to fuel buses, refuse collection vehicles, trucks, trains, boats, SUV cars, among others, which then give off no pollutants, just a few drops of pure water.
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