Hydrogen may cause more global warming than carbon dioxide

Hydrogen draws attention as a clean energy source in the measures to be taken against carbon dioxide emissions, but a new study shows that releasing hydrogen directly into the atmosphere can produce warming effects 11 times worse than carbon dioxide. .

United Kingdom A study published by the government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reveals that as hydrogen is released into the atmosphere, it can interact with other gases in the air to produce strong warming effects.

The research determined that the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of hydrogen is twice as much as previously thought. It is stated that in a 100-year period, a ton of hydrogen in the atmosphere can heat our planet about 11 times more than a ton of carbon dioxide.

Why does hydrogen have such an effect?

Although methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, causes warming 80 times more than carbon dioxide of the same mass in the first 20 years of a 100-year period, hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere can ‘cleanse’ methane faster than carbon dioxide. For this reason, carbon dioxide has worse effects than methane when examined in the long term.

Hydrogen, on the other hand, prolongs the life of methane by reacting with the same tropospheric oxidizers that can clean up atmospheric methane emissions. The reaction of hydroxyl radicals with hydrogen instead of methane causes increased methane concentrations and thus global warming in the long run.

Also, the presence of hydrogen amplifies a “radiative forcing” effect that raises temperatures even higher because it causes the concentration of both tropospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapor to increase.

Should green hydrogen be avoided?

The research focuses on leaks that can occur during the storage, distribution and use of hydrogen. It is emphasized that these processes need to be improved in order to avoid the bad effects of hydrogen.

In spite of all these, it is stated that the realization of use despite the hydrogen leakage at certain rates will be beneficial in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.