Dr. Randi Pokladnik
Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2)
In the fall of 2023, the Biden Administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $7-billion dollar investment in seven regional hydrogen hubs, which will be financed through the Inflation Reduction Act. One of those hubs, the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub or ARCH2, will see projects spanning across the states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. One of those projects will be based near Canton, Ohio.
According to a recent factsheet from the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, “Enbridge Gas Ohio plans to produce “clean hydrogen” via electrolysis at a facility to be located on or near Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) in Canton, OH for SARTA’s fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses and vehicles.”
The hydrogen that will be produced by the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) will not actually be clean.
Classification of Hydrogen as Clean
In order to be classified as clean by the Department of Energy, the hydrogen must be produced with a carbon intensity equal to or less than 2 kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalent per kilogram of hydrogen produced. This value can only be accomplished if the electricity used for the electrolysis is from renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro. Currently, the percentage of renewable electricity produced in Ohio is about four percent of the total energy produced in the state.
The electricity needed to separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules will no doubt be accessed from Ohio’s energy grid, which is predominantly fossil-fuel based. Hydrogen produced using fossil fuel energy obtained from fracked methane gas is anything but clean.
This hydrogen would have “an average annual carbon intensity over 20 kg CO 2 per kg H 2 .“ This value takes into account all upstream emissions from fracking, such as leaking pipelines, compressor stations, fuel for heavy equipment, flaring, and other processes used to obtain the methane fuel source. Additionally, hydrogen production is extremely expensive, with natural gas derived hydrogen costing about $1.50 per kilogram and green hydrogen as high as $5.00 per kilogram.
In order for hydrogen to qualify for the 45 V tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act it must be qualified as clean hydrogen. It “cannot have a lifecycle greenhouse gas emission rate greater than 4 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of hydrogen through the point of production.”
Hydrogen producers can receive credit for each kilogram of hydrogen produced but the amount depends on the kilograms of greenhouse gasses (GHG) they emit as a result of hydrogen production. The highest credit is $3.00 per kg of hydrogen if their GHG emissions are less than 0.45 kg. The lowest credit is $0.60 per kilogram of hydrogen produced if GHG emissions fall between 2.00 to 4.00 kilograms.
Therefore, the hydrogen produced at the Canton facility would not be eligible for any tax credits.
Problems with Using Hydrogen as a Fuel Source
Also consider that Hydrogen as a fuel source has its own problems. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It is flammable and explosive. “Hydrogen fires are invisible, making them even more hazardous for first responders, and unlike natural gas, no odorants are added to hydrogen so leaks are hard to detect.
No federal agency has authority to issue permits for interstate clean hydrogen pipelines. Hydrogen, being the smallest element on the Periodic Table can leak from anywhere along a production line or pipeline. The gas can corrode steel in a process called hydrogen embrittlement, and brittle pipelines are more prone to leaks and explosions. Hydrogen has also been shown to be an indirect greenhouse gas. Hydrogen emissions increase the lifetime of methane gas in the atmosphere, and given the possibility of hydrogen leaks, this effect is “significant”.
Finally, ionomers contain polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the toxic compounds referred to as “forever chemicals”. They fail to break down in the environment and cause numerous health effects. Companies are now required to report the use of PFAS under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
It is crucial to understand that all hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers require the use of ionomers in their Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM). Ionomers isolate the electrodes (positive and negative), they act as an electrolyte, and they provide a membrane to stop oxygen mixing with hydrogen.
Ohioans need to know the real truth about these hydrogen projects.
Randi Pokladnik, PhD. Environmental Studies