Hydrogen is one of the three ingredients of Twelve’s E-Jet® SAF, and the type of hydrogen we use impacts our carbon reduction impact.
By David Frank
You may know already that Twelve’s E-Jet® SAF is an e-fuel, produced using CO2 and renewable energy. However, another key ingredient in the process is hydrogen (H2). Hydrogen is the ‘hydro’ in traditional hydrocarbon or fossil fuels that our global economy depends on today. Without a source of hydrogen, our e-fuel production process would not be possible.
The hydrogen we use can be formed in many ways – it is the most common element in the universe. However, it is not found in its pure form on the surface of our planet. More commonly it is found as water (H2O), in all organic life (as hydrocarbons), in fossil fuels (oil and natural gas), and as the key ingredient that power the sun’s fusion power (H2 + H2 -> Helium in the sun’s fusion reaction). In these combined forms, hydrogen is happy and stable at a resting state.
In order to make our E-Jet® and E-Naphtha™ products, we need pure H2, freed from the chemical bonds, to react with CO produced from our Opus™ System. Twelve’s Project Development team sources biogenic CO2 for each E-Jet® fuel plant. So how do we obtain hydrogen? There are several hydrogen supply options available today:
The most common type of hydrogen is produced from fuels like natural gas. These fuels are mixed with steam and passed over a catalyst bed at high temperature. This allows the fuel and steam to react and change into a mixture of mostly H2 and CO2. Hydrogen
produced by these methods can be called black, brown, or grey hydrogen, which refer to the color of the source (coal) or the dark off-gases they produce.
The next most common method takes water and splits that into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. This reaction occurs electrochemically (chemical reactions made by or that make electricity) in a device called an electrolyzer, similar to the ones we use to electrochemically transform CO2. Electrolyzers have been in use industrially for over 100 years and continue to evolve to become more efficient. If renewable electricity is used to power these devices, then this is considered clean or ‘green’ hydrogen. This is the most recognized way to decarbonize fuels and chemicals, and is how Twelve plans to source hydrogen for our production facilities called AirPlants™.
Innovation isn’t limited to the carbon transformation sector – there are new hydrogen production technologies that are making waves. Some exciting new options include:
Renewable Natural Gas Reforming (made from the decomposition of organic matter), or Biogas (e.g. cow ‘burps’ or pyrolysis of organic matter like garbage): This fuel comes from renewable, non-fossil fuel sources and is considered carbon neutral when used as a feedstock. These fuels can be reformed in the same way as regular natural gas above.
Pyrolysis or Plasma Reforming: This process uses the same feedstock inputs of natural gas, renewable natural gas, or biogas, but doesn’t produce CO2. This type of reforming H2 generation relies on running the fuel through a high-temperature or a plasma arc in an inert atmosphere that splits the fuel into the constituent molecules of hydrogen and carbon without any CO2 production. As the product gas cools, the carbon changes into solid carbon and the hydrogen gas is free for use in downstream processes. The carbon can be upcycled as well, sold as carbon black to various industries as a valuable feedstock. Hydrogen produced this way is typically called ‘turquoise’ hydrogen.
Natural or Geologic Hydrogen: This is the newest type of hydrogen and is sometimes referred to as white, gold, or orange hydrogen. Primarily developed within the past few years, this pathway sources hydrogen from the earth’s crust. There are many unknowns regarding size and quantity of deposits, the cost of the hydrogen produced, and quantity of byproduct gases that exist within the deposits. Despite the unknowns, this is an exciting development. This hydrogen is created from various subterranean reactions like:
Serpentinization - In which the iron-rich rocks in the earth’s crust react with water to form hydrogen. These reservoirs are replenished when rainwater re-enters these formations. This is an example of orange hydrogen that is replenishable.
Radiolysis of water - Radioactive elements in the Earth’s crust decompose water trapped in the earth’s crust causing a hydrogen pocket. This was discovered in South Australia.
Deep degassing - In which hydrogen ( escapes from the Earth’s crust. There is a formation of this in Nebraska, in the US.
Iron reduction and sulphur oxidation - Iron iron sulphide deposits) is reduced to ferrous iron and hydrogen sulphides. These can be further oxidized to sulphur oxides and hydrogen.
Thermal decomposition of organic matter - In which ammonia- underground decomposes to form hydrogen and nitrogen. This was discovered in gas seeps in Oman.
Biological activity - Hydrogen is produced by microbes living in the Earth’s crust, via sediment or aquifers. This was found coal beds in Montana.
Twelve is bringing together many different and complementary technologies to produce E-Jet®, and is a key customer, user, and in some cases producer of hydrogen. We believe that it will take everyone, across multiple industries and innovative spaces, to drive successful climate action at scale.