Over the course of the 21st century, the world has seen dozens of new technologies emerge as world superpowers called attention to the depletion of the ozone layer and hazardous climate change, and started making serious efforts to undo the worst of the damage.
That trend has continued, with scientists working around the clock to come up with new ways to end the use of fossil fuels and transition to net zero emissions so we can all live and work in environmentally-friendly ways.
We’ve seen solar power quickly rise in popularity, with other renewable energy forms like wind turbines and hydroelectricity on its heels. Now, one of the latest emerging technologies in the clean energy space is green hydrogen, and experts are already projecting its mass success.
What is green hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is a form of hydrogen produced in a specific way. It’s formed when water is split into its two different components – hydrogen and oxygen — using renewable energy.
After this process, green hydrogen itself can then be used as a form of renewable energy. You can think of it like clean energy.
Hydrogen gas itself was invented way back in the 16th century, but green hydrogen has only in the past few years gained prominence as a renewable energy alternative.
Green hydrogen’s potential
Alongside more well-known forms of renewable energy, green hydrogen has already begun experiencing rapid growth.
In the United States…
The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) recently projected that “2024 promises to be a year of significant progress for green hydrogen” as it has not been “a slow, gradual transition but a rapid adoption of a powerful tool to decarbonize the most difficult parts of our modern economy.”
“We believe hydrogen’s flexibility, its ability to act as a chemical catalyst and reach the high heat needed to produce steel and other vital materials, and its ability to be transformed into established chemicals such as ammonia and methanol, all mean it will play an important role in our future energy system,” RMI said.
In the United States, for instance, RMI noted that a billion-dollar hydrogen hub project will support the development of more green hydrogen plants that will create thousands of jobs in the communities they operate in.
In Europe…
Over in Europe, global staffing firm ManPowerGroup released a report outlining how “over 1.7 million new green jobs could be created across Europe by 2040 thanks to the development of green molecules, such as hydrogen and biofuels, as part of the energy transition.”
“Addressing climate change does not mean choosing between people and the planet. Preparing the workforce with in-demand skills is key to driving this transition,” Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup Chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
“Governments and employers must come together to match bold commitments to reducing reliance on fossil fuels with strong actions to prepare for a greener future.”