Hydrocarbon Processing - August 2021 - 62

Hydrogen
transport, clean industrial consumption,
and gas turbine fuel with up to 100% H2
.
Transportation studies in North
America. Production of H2
via conventional
methodologies, recovery of byproduct
or through greener approaches,
such as water electrolysis, have a marked
effect on both the cost and availability of
H2
. When considering H2
as an alternative
fuel, it is normal that the first question
asked is usually, " What is the delivered
cost of H2
? " How to best produce H2
for the future is a broad topic not covered
by this article. The authors' focus is to
explore how to best deliver produced H2
reliably and at a competitive cost.
Concurrent to the demonstration of
LOHC technology, a number of wideranging
studies have been undertaken to
explore competitive options for transportation.
Both locally focused and long-haul
transport have been considered and reviewed.
Truck transport, rail, inland waterway
barges, pipelines and ocean-going
tankers have been compared in a number
of studies (FIG. 13).
In 2019, a detailed study was concluded
with the government of British
Columbia in Canada that considered the
efficient transport of H2
produced from
low-cost hydropower. The trademarked
hydrogen technology served as the basis,
and transport of H2
from a coastal location
was considered for delivery to Japan,
to the city of Vancouver, Canada and to
the port of Los Angeles in California, U.S.
Another study was completed in 2019
with a U.S.-based industrial partner to
produce H2
from excess nuclear power in
the Midwestern U.S. The LOHC was then
transported to an industrial port located
on the U.S. Gulf Coast for eventual dehydrogenation
and subsequent distribution
for both industrial use and/or clean power
production. In this case, rail and barge
transport options were investigated.
Lastly, a research laboratory of the U.S.
DOE was engaged to complete another
detailed transportation study. In this study,
the recovery of H2
Coast sources (cracker byproduct and
chlor-alkali offgas) was compared with
green production of H2
using both solar
and wind energy, for transport to California
for use as mobility fuel and power. Various
transport options were considered,
including rail and ocean-going, long-range
chemical carriers.
With reference to the DOE study, several
findings were noted:
* Transmission of methylcyclohexane
and toluene by large product tankers
(115,000 deadweight tonnage, or
DWT) is 50% less expensive than
transmission by rail at $0.7/kg vs.
$1.53/kg. It is also important to
note that greenhouse gas emissions
are reduced by half when utilizing
ships for transmission, compared
with rail transport.
* Use of byproduct H2
incurs the
lowest cost among all of the
pathways analyzed. Using ships
as the transmission mode, the
cost (reflected by natural gas
substitution only) could be a
delivered total cost of below $2/kg,
including transmission cost.
FIG. 13. Studies undertaken to explore competitive options for H2
transportation.
Future applications. The hydrogen
technologya
has strength in large-scale
transportation by ocean-going, longrange
chemical carriers, as well as the
potential to provide for H2
in many applications
beyond the obvious uses in mobility,
material movement and clean power
generation (FIG. 14). H2
green or traditional methods can be utilized
in remote locations for convenience
and competitiveness, with shipment to
any other location for centralized or decentralized
recovery of H2
, depending on
the desirable end use at hand.
Large-scale H2
storage is one method
FIG. 14. The hydrogen processa
technology as applied to a green energy hub.
62 AUGUST 2021 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com
to consider for storage of fluctuating renewable
power, such as seasonal fluctuation,
at the point when renewable power
is widely introduced in the power grid
network. The H2
gas grid network.
also can be used in the
production by
from existing U.S. Gulf
http://www.HydrocarbonProcessing.com
Hydrocarbon Processing - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hydrocarbon Processing - August 2021
