H2Tech - Q2 2021 - 19

EXECUTIVE VIEWPOINT

Accelerating the future of green hydrogen
GORDON MUIR, President, Industrial Automation, Emerson Automation Solutions

The push for clean energy continues to
drive interest in hydrogen-powered vehicles and power systems. The demand for
green H2 is greater than ever before, and
many consider it to be one of the most viable near-future sources of energy. With
this promising outlook ahead, the green
H2 industry is a pretty exciting place to
be. With the right solutions and processes
in place across the supply chain, we can
bring the more sustainable future of green
H2 closer to reality, right now.

GORDON MUIR is President of Industrial
Automation at Emerson Automation Solutions.
He has been following the hydrogen industry for
more than 15 yr, with a special interest in green
hydrogen. Gordon earned his MBA degree from
the University of Minnesota and his BS degree
in electrical and electronic engineering from the
University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Creating a zero-emissions future.
What makes green H2 so attractive as
a renewable source of energy is that it
can provide sufficient, reliable, universal
power with zero emissions. Countries
around the world have developed policies, programs and projects to accelerate
green H2 production and use. Many governments have developed H2 roadmaps
and are setting ambitious targets. With
eyes on the outcome, attention on green
H2 is only growing.
Since most of the infrastructure and
processes required to support the transition to green H2 still need to be built,
scale-up remains a challenge. The good
news is that technology solutions and digital transformation that have already been
proven in the greater H2 industry can help
solve many of the challenges that companies across the value chain are facing now.
Hydrogen production. The process of
producing H2 using water and electricity is called electrolysis. Electricity breaks
down water into its base elements, H2 and
O2, in a unit called an electrolyzer. These
electrolyzers can range from small devices
to large-scale, central production facilities.
For example, skid electrolyzers can power
a single factory or entire communities. By
combining electrolytic cells and stacks,

green H2 production can be scaled according to the needs of the application.
However, within the great advantages
of scalable clean energy lie a few challenges. Research and development efforts
are being made to increase electrolyzer
system efficiency overall, as well as electrolyzer operating life, power density and
stack size. These improvements will reduce material costs and lead to more flexible systems that are adapted to intermittent and fluctuating power supplies.
Due to the great scalability of electrolyzers, manufacturers must consider how
they will access the components necessary
for the full range of electrolyzer sizes. The
nature of H2 adds even more complexity. It
is the smallest and the lightest element and,
if mishandled, the consequences can be disastrous. Electrolyzer components must be
reliable and built for hazardous environments to keep people and property safe.
Working with one technology supplier
that has an extensive portfolio specifically
designed for H2 applications can simplify
the supply chain, saving companies time
and money as they scale their production.
This frees equipment manufacturers and
producers to focus on developing and delivering their products.
It is especially important to work with
an expert supplier equipped with a wide
range of measurement, control and electrical equipment specifically designed to
improve reliability and safety in the hazardous areas of electrolyzers (FIG. 1). In
addition to valves, valve systems, flowmeters, regulators and pressure transmitters,
they should also have smart technologies,
such as scalable process control and safety solutions that can reduce operational
complexity, decrease risk and improve the
performance of green H2 facilities, from
electrolyzers to balance of plant assets,
while providing sitewide safety system
H2Tech | Q2 2021

H2Tech - Q2 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of H2Tech - Q2 2021