Consider the following heavy industries:
1. Fertilizer plants
2. Oil refineries
3. Steel plants
Green hydrogen is expected to play a significant role in decarbonizing how many of the above industries?
[amp_mcq option1=”Only one” option2=”Only two” option3=”All three” option4=”None” correct=”option3″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2023
Fertilizer plants: Production of ammonia (NH3), a primary component of fertilizers, currently uses hydrogen derived mainly from natural gas (steam methane reforming), a process that emits significant CO2. Green hydrogen can directly replace this, making ammonia production carbon-free.
Oil refineries: Hydrogen is used in refining processes like hydrocracking and hydrotreating to remove impurities and upgrade fuel products. Replacing grey hydrogen with green hydrogen is a direct pathway to reduce emissions in refineries.
Steel plants: Traditional steel production is a major source of CO2 emissions due to the use of coal as a reducing agent. Green hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent in direct reduced iron (DRI) processes, replacing coal and enabling the production of “green steel” with significantly lower emissions.