More than 100 countries committed to developing renewable energies at the last Climate Summit, but a few (like America) followed in a different wake and began to develop new and innovative sources. In America we call it “green”, in Europe it is “blue”, but Japan has invented a new color: this is the hydrogen we have never seen before, which we do not know on the other side of the world, but which could be a catastrophe that humanity will regret for decades.
New “color” of hydrogen to be produced in this country: not green, not blue, but this one
Japan has just recently revealed its intent to generate pink hydrogen through the fourth-generation nuclear reactors. This is in line with policies set by the country to shift away from fossil fuels and campaign for low carbon emissions. Today (you know we love to speak about hydrogen “colors”, we want to establish an understandings regarding what pink hydrogen is and other relevant information.
Pink hydrogen as the name suggests hydrogen is one type of hydrogen that is generated through production through the electrolysis compound by electricity that is sourced from nuclear reactors. This process entails separating the water into hydrogen and oxygen by busting its molecules using the electrical power from the nuclear power plant.
The hydrogen, that is produced, is known as ‘pink’ power in a reference to nuclear energy. The same is true for orange (from previously treated wastewater), black (from fossil fuels), or white (from subway reservoirs). The one we are discussing today is called by other names, which coincide with the following:
- Fuchsia (yes, some call it that).
- Red.
- Purple.
Why has Japan “invented” a new color: pink hydrogen could be developed from now to 2028
Making pink hydrogen is not a simple process and it goes through the following steps. First, there is an electric generator such as a nuclear reactor. This electricity is the one that is used to conduct an electrolysis procedure through which water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen respectively.
By controlling the reaction condition, the produced hydrogen is collected and further purified to be used for different purposes. Japan has set itself a trial of pink hydrogen by 2028 to demonstrate the concept by the end of the decade. The country will use pink hydrogen to diversify energy sources for electricity generation in a bid to decrease the use of fossil energies.
Pink hydrogen may appeal to you, but it’s not a good idea: we explain it in three keywords
Pink hydrogen has its merits since it is environmentally friendlier than the conventional methods of hydrogen production; nevertheless, pink hydrogen is not without some demerits.
- One factor to consider in the case of the electrolysis process is that the actual thermal efficiency of the entire process is weak contrary to what is advocated by those who bet on nuclear as a more efficient source than the rest of “renewables” (which it is not).
- The electrolysis process can generally convert up to 75% of electrical energy into chemicals while the conversion of chemicals to electrical energy is usually around 30%. This leads to a thermal efficiency of about 25 percent for the generation of pink hydrogen.
- The last disadvantage of producing pink hydrogen is rather obvious: it will cost more than the ‘regular’ version. At its current pricing, pink hydrogen remains relatively costly which economically positions it unfavorably against grey hydrogen that is generated through the reforming of fossil fuels.
The invention of pink hydrogen does not seem to be a revolution, like others that we have shown you in previous weeks (even today, a few hours ago). However, some claim that it is the best option to give use to nuclear energy, which continues to expand in countries like France, Japan, or even America, which could trigger a problem we have already told you about, with a source that is far from being sustainable, clean or environmentally friendly.