What are Fossil Fuels?

The byproduct of extinct, carbon-based organisms that died and were buried thousands of years ago is fossil fuel. They produce sediments that are rich in carbon, which may be gathered and burned to provide power.

What is Hydrogen?

The chemical element hydrogen is the most prevalent in the cosmos. It is a straightforward gaseous entity that contributes to water’s composition. Before Henry Cavendish originally identified it as a unique element and gave it a name in 1766, we have been using hydrogen since at least the 17^th century, decades before anyone fully understood what it was.

Types of Fossil Fuels:

The following are three major types of Fossil Fuels:

• Coal: Ferns, plants, and trees that were subjected to pressure and heat, eventually hardened and became coal.
• Oil: Smaller organisms, such as zooplankton and algae, are the raw materials for oil. This intricate organic substance broke down into oil under extremely high pressure.
• Natural Gas: Similar to how oil is processed, natural gas goes through the same steps, except it takes longer and is subject to more heat and pressure, which accelerates decomposition.

Global Significance of Fossil Fuels:

With a share of 82%, fossil fuels constitute the primary source of energy in the globe. The majority of demonstrated fossil fuel reserves are found in non-OECD nations. The economic growth of nations has been and is still being supported by these energy sources. Numerous uses exist for them, ranging from the creation of power to the fuel for transportation.

How do fossil fuels and climate change relate to one another?

Consuming fuels that are fossilized causes a significant emission of CO2, which is a greenhouse gas, into the surrounding environment. The increase in temperature results from gases known as greenhouse gases retaining heat in our atmosphere (Soeder & Soeder, 2021). The standard deviation of the entire planet has already risen by 1C. If warming worldwide exceeds 1.5 °C, multitudes of Human beings may experience starvation, worsening medical conditions, and rising levels of poverty in addition to accelerating the threat of ocean-level expansion declining biodiversity, and the disappearance of species.

To what extent do fossil fuels influence our surroundings and global warming?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) claims that emissions from fossil fuels are the main reason for global warming. In 2018, industry and fossil fuels were responsible for 89% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

Climate Change Caused By Coal:

The grimiest fossil fuel, coal, is responsible for more than 0.3C of the 1C rise in average global temperatures. As a result, it is mostly to blame for the increase in global temperatures (IMBUGWA INYAMBURA, 2021).

Oil’s role in Climate change:

About one-third of the world’s carbon emissions, which are significant, are caused by the combustion of oil. The environment of our oceans has suffered as a result of several oil disasters that have lately taken place.

Natural Gas role in causing climate change:

In comparison to coal and oil, natural gas is promoted as a cleaner energy source. However, natural gas is still a fossil fuel and contributes to 5% of global carbon emissions.

Non-renewable resources:

Since it has taken millions of years for fossil fuels to originate, they are non-renewable resources. These resources are not regenerated once they have been utilized. Furthermore, the production costs and environmental effects of these unconventional resources are often higher.

The globe is now looking at alternative energy sources that are both renewable and less damaging as a result of the mentioned worries.

End Fossil Fuels -Energy transition

The fossil fuel sector is polluting communities and causing climate change in a variety of ways, including fracked gas, oil pipelines, and coal ash dumps. Once and for all, we need to eliminate fossil fuels and completely switch to sustainable energy i.e. HYDROGEN to power our whole society.

Implications of Hydrogen:

We utilize hydrogen for an assortment of applications that enhance our existence, including illumination, steaming, agricultural fertilization, as well as spacefaring. Additionally, hydrogen continues to have new applications and uses.

Why Hydrogen?

Here are various explanations for why hydrogen is most likely to play a significant role in the future of renewable energy.

1. No direct emissions of CO₂

Direct CO₂ emissions can be avoided by using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels in fuel cells, engines, gas turbines, boilers, and other devices that produce electricity and heat. In order to implement hydrogen-based technologies, for instance, the gaseous hydrogen engine from Kawasaki Authority, a unit of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. proprietor of hydroelectric power can transition to fuel co-firing, and soon entirely use hydrogen (Midilli & Dincer, 2008).

2.  Intense thermal combustion of Hydrogen

It produces heat and water when it ignites and merges with oxygen. Because more efficient fuels are now feasible to generate with hydrogen, its potential as a source for meeting our future electricity demands has been unleashed as our understanding of the best ways to deal with hydrogen ignition has advanced.

3. Storage Potential

Weather conditions often create variations in the supply of heat and electricity generated by clean energy sources like the sun and the wind. The unpredictable aspect of clean energy production can be minimized by incorporating efficient retention technologies with them, and hydrogen has a track record of providing reliable storage. Electrolysis is a process that converts renewable energy sources into hydrogen, which can then be stored and utilized later. This process also stabilizes the energy system by supplying an energy source that is always available. Even better, there won’t be much of a loss when the hydrogen is held for a long time.

4. Industrial fuel

Energy-intensive industrial activities like metal processing and glass production can also be powered by hydrogen as a fuel. Given that it will account for approximately 40% of global final energy consumption in 2021, heavy industry faces a difficult decarbonization journey.  In industries, where plenty of procedures require considerable effort towards electrification, hydrogen is anticipated to be an important means of substituting oil and gas.

A Fuel of Tomorrow and Today

Hydrogen has an incredibly long lifespan and is extremely versatile; it has been deployed for generating power until the beginning of the 20^th century and is now being used to launch tourist capsules into space. Pursuant to the findings of the International Energy Authority, which identifies hydrogen as “a key component of carbon neutrality for manufacturing,” hydrogen has demonstrated its usage in multiple sectors nevertheless is still far from reaching its maximum capacity to help the reduction of carbon dioxide (Jain, 2009).

Conclusion:

Our globe is currently undergoing a decarbonization race. Today more than ever, hydrogen has to be embraced as a solution for the worldwide energy requirements. The capability of hydrogen to expedite the energy transition is unparalleled. A potential game-changer has been predicted as clean hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy. It renders it possible to produce industrial goods in a healthy way and can be utilized to decarbonize forms of transportation including shipping and aviation. Hydrogen can be utilized to produce ammonia, a crucial component of synthetic fertilizer, as an alternative to fossil fuels like coal or natural gas i.e. polluting communities and causing climate change in a variety of ways.

References

IMBUGWA INYAMBURA, D. (2021). EXPLORING THE USE AND IMPACTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES OF KENYA: A CASE STUDY OF BUNGOMA COUNTY. PAUWES,

Jain, I. (2009). Hydrogen the fuel for 21st century. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 34(17), 7368-7378.

Midilli, A., & Dincer, I. (2008). Hydrogen as a renewable and sustainable solution in reducing global fossil fuel consumption. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 33(16), 4209-4222.

Soeder, D. J., & Soeder, D. J. (2021). Fossil fuels and climate change. Fracking and the Environment: A scientific assessment of the environmental risks from hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuels, 155-185.v

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Author detail:

Aisha Ghaffar¹, Amana Iqbal¹

¹Department of Chemistry, University Of Agriculture Faisalabad, Subcampus Toba Tek Singh