Starting with this blog, I will be highlighting what I find
on the Internet about the uses, production, prices, and news for several elements,
including hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and others. These blogs are a follow-on to the recent
series of blogs “Chemical Elements’ Revenues – Part 1, 2, and 3” that I
wrote. I start with hydrogen.
Uses. More than 80% of hydrogen is used in industrial
applications such as ammonia and methanol production, petroleum refining, and
metal and food processing. The next
largest use is as a fuel. It is this
second use where the greatest growth for hydrogen use is occurring. One reason for this is the emergence of fuel
cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Estimates
are that in 2018 over 2,000 FCEVs were in use globally and that by 2030 an
estimated two million will be in use.
Production. Estimated hydrogen global production in
2018 is in the 60 million metric ton range.
In the United States, most hydrogen production is from methane (natural
gas) using what is known as steam reforming.
Water electrolysis accounts for most of the rest of the hydrogen produced
in the United States. In the rest of the
world, electrolysis accounts for a higher percentage of hydrogen produced than
in the United States.
Prices. 2018 hydrogen prices in the United States are
in the $3.50 per kilogram, and higher, range for small and medium size orders and
less than $3.50 for large orders. Based
on a global 2018 production of approximately 60 million metric tons and using
$2.50 per kilogram as a price, hydrogen produced in 2018 had a $150 billion
value (would generate $150 billion of revenues).
News. What follows are brief summaries of news
alerts about hydrogen uses in 2018:
v
Alerts were issued on several countries’ (including
Japan, Australia, South Korea, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as the
state of California in the United States) new and ongoing efforts to use hydrogen
as an energy source. Some of the details
are:
·
Japan is targeting the import of significant
amounts of hydrogen;
·
South Korea plans to have around 300 hydrogen
filling stations to service the expected number of FCEVs planned in South
Korea;
·
California is building more hydrogen filling
stations;
·
Australia is developing a hydrogen export
industry, perhaps in response to Japan’s plans to import large amounts of
hydrogen;
·
The London Police are adding FCEVs to its inventory;
and
·
France is spending $100 million on a hydrogen development
program and plans to have more than 5,000 FCEVs and 100 filling stations by
2023.
v
At lease three automobile companies, Toyota, Hyundai,
and Honda, announced plans to ramp up the production of FCEVs in the coming
years. Hyundai is budgeting $6.7 billion
to produce 500,000 FCEVs by 2030.
v
The French railroad technology company Alstom
has produced trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells that are in operation in a
section of Germany.
v
More than 100 FCEVs are being used in Paris by a
taxi company.
v
The Austrian voestalpine steel manufacturer has initiated
a project, with Siemens and others, to test the generation of large quantities
of hydrogen by electrolysis for use in its steel making, instead of using hydrogen
produced by steam forming of methane.
v
The companies Air Products and Air Liquide are building
liquid hydrogen production facilities in California to supply the hydrogen
filling stations that are being built there.
