In an effort to make Europe’s biggest economy climate-neutral by 2050, Germany turned its focus on using ammonia and methanol in order to deliver hydrogen as a clean-burning fuel for industries.
According to Bloomberg, Germany’s government is financing a feasibility study to evaluate ways of transporting hydrogen, while is focusing on ammonia and methanol chemicals as a possible solution.
What is more, the government plans to invest 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) on building up hydrogen as a green fuel.
“Options for safe and economic transport are crucial in order to establish a global hydrogen economy. We have the advantage that we can draw on an existing global infrastructure that has been in use for decades”… as Stefan Kaufmann, a member of Germany’s parliament who is responsible for coordinating the use of green hydrogen told Reuters.
Additionally, using hydrogen has also challenges. Transporting large amounts of the lightest element is difficult because its density is so low that it needs containers with huge volumes or to be condensed to be moved efficiently.
“That means storing it under high pressure or at temperatures of minus 253 degrees Celsius”...Stefan Kaufmann added.
Ammonia — a common chemical comprised of one nitrogen atom surrounded by three hydrogen — is another option. Hydrogen can be converted into ammonia liquid and back again for transport around the globe.
Kaufmann said Germany is looking at supply deals from Chile to Canada and Australia and that Germany will need to import 80% of its hydrogen needs if the industry takes off.
Besides transporting hydrogen by ships, Germany also plans to expand its pipelines network to reach countries offering cheap hydrogen from green sources like solar panels and wind farms.
Overall, a new whitepaper by ABS suggested that the use of ammonia as a fuel is expected to grow due to its zero-carbon content, easier distribution, storage and bunkering compared to hydrogen, and its suitability with existing and emerging technologies for propulsion and power generation.
