World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22nd, highlights the importance of water in our lives. It’s a day to raise awareness about the global water crisis, the theme of World Water Day 2024 is “Water for Peace”.
Hydrogen, which holds the promise of a greener, decarbonized future, is closely related to water and aligns with this year’s theme, as it can empower local communities to achieve energy independence and reduce reliance on traditional fossil fuels, thereby helping to minimize conflicts and facilitate access to water.
The relationship between water and hydrogen has always been there since its discovery and the origin of its name. Currently, water is the main raw material for the production of clean hydrogen and renewable energy generation. From hydroelectric to solar thermal and geothermal, water drives various forms of sustainable energy. Additionally, it is an indispensable component in electrolysis, the process by which hydrogen is obtained from water and electricity.
It is not easy to conceive a transition to a sustainable future without proper water management that allows its use to satisfy both the natural needs of the population and to generate electricity, power vehicles, and heat homes. Therefore, we are in a cycle where water is necessary to produce energy, and energy is necessary to extract, purify, and distribute water. Thus, the production of green hydrogen crucially depends on water, and its use is a sustainable and accessible alternative to other options.
Although the production of green hydrogen is still in its early stages, its potential is enormous. Various countries and business entities are investing in research, development, and infrastructure to make green hydrogen a viable reality on a large scale. These technological advances are accelerating the viability and efficiency of its production. The reduction of costs and improvements in infrastructure are driving the development of this technology, which brings us closer to a reasonable use of water for energy production.
World Water Day represents an opportunity to commit to the protection of this vital resource and to understand the importance of enhancing its reasonable use through clean energies. Considering that water is a vital resource that generates disputes and confrontations when not available in adequate quantities, we can frame green hydrogen, in this context, as an environmentally friendly facilitator of the process of extraction, processing, and transportation of water, which, although it does not directly produce water, can provide the energy needed for the operation of desalination plants, filtration, wastewater treatment, and pumps.
While the production of hydrogen by electrolysis involves the use of water as raw material, improvements in the efficiency of its production and responsible usage practices can minimize water consumption. Additionally, hydrogen, being transportable, offers the possibility of aiding local communities where water is scarce. Thus, its use for electricity production will not entirely depend on local resources.
Some of the strategies and opportunities that can be observed in the relationship between water and hydrogen in the context of “Water for Peace” include:
Public-Private Collaboration Promotion: Joining efforts between governments, companies, and academia to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen as an environmentally friendly and decentralized energy source that facilitates access to water resources that would otherwise be difficult to access.
Education and Awareness: Informing about the advantages of green hydrogen and its crucial role in combating climate change, as well as minimizing the risks of contamination of water resources as currently occurs with hydrocarbons, can reduce the impact on vulnerable communities.
Economic Possibilities: The implementation and use of hydrogen open up new economic perspectives by revitalizing the economy of communities through its transportation and distribution, as well as its commercialization and the reduction of local energy production costs.
The theme “Water for Peace” obliges us to reflect not only on the impact of the absence of water in communities but also on the importance of developing strategies that enhance and promote responsible water usage. Renewable energies find their niche in this area, and the use of green hydrogen as a clean energy source helps us achieve this reasonable use of water resources. While hydrogen production uses water, innovation can ensure its responsible use, minimizing environmental impact, facilitating the energy independence of communities, and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels that usually contaminate watercourses and the air. These perspectives are no longer as distant as in other times; they are goals within reach and can help preserve the most important resource of our planet.
By. Catherine Lafaurie & William Salazar / Fuel Cells Works
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