UPSC Articles
Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas
Part of: GS Prelims and GS- III –
In news National Thermal Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd. has invited a global ‘expression of interest’ to set up a pilot project on hydrogen blending with natural gas.
- NTPC Ltd. Is India’s largest power producer and a central PSU under the Ministry of Power.
- This pilot will be the first of its kind in India and would explore the viability of decarbonising India’s natural gas grid. It would be later taken up at a commercial scale across India.
What is Hydrogen Blending?
- Hydrogen energy is a viable solution for reducing society’s dependence on fossil fuels and decarbonizing a number of energy sectors.
- One of the measure to phase hydrogen into the energy sector is though natural gas/hydrogen (NG/H2) blending.
- As the name would suggest, NG/H2 blending integrates concentrations of hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines in order to reduce the carbon intensity of the methane.
- This blending carries the hydrogen and natural gas mix to the intended location.
- The blending of natural gas and hydrogen is currently in its early stages of development.
What is Green Hydrogen?
The sources and processes by which hydrogen is derived, are categorised by colour tabs.
- Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is called grey hydrogen; this constitutes the bulk of the hydrogen produced today.
- Hydrogen generated from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage options is called blue hydrogen;
- Hydrogen generated entirely from renewable power sources is called green hydrogen. Electricity generated from renewable energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
News Source: TH
