Hydrogen is efficently and safely used in various industries, with about 90% of applications found in the chemical sector. It is primarily used to produce fertilizers by converting hydrogen into ammonia. However, the majority of hydrogen used today is so called grey hydrogen, produced from natural gas and associated with high greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets, grey hydrogen must be replaced with emission-free green hydrogen. Furthermore, energy-intensive industries like steel and cement production are transitioning from coal and natural gas to hydrogen as part of their decarbonization efforts. This shift is crucial for meeting decarbonization targets and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Hydrogen (H2) is a colorless, invisible gas. Several different methods can be used to produce hydrogen. To distinguish between these different methods and their associated emissions, we refer to different colors of hydrogen. Green hydrogen, like that produced by Hyrasia One, is produced by using renewable electricity to power a process called water electrolysis, which splits water (H2O) into oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H2). There are no greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of green hydrogen.

Other colors of hydrogen, i.e. other production methods, include

• Grey hydrogen: Greenhouse gas-intensive hydrogen from fossil natural gas via steam reforming.
• Blue hydrogen: Similar to grey hydrogen, but with carbon capture and storage, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• Turquoise hydrogen: Produced from fossil natural gas using methane pyrolysis, generating hydrogen and solid black carbon.
• Pink/purple hydrogen: Hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using nuclear power.
• Black/brown hydrogen: Derived from coal or lignite through gasification, emitting carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
• White hydrogen: Natural hydrogen deposits in reservoirs, with unknown extraction potential and environmental impact.

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and implement the energy transition, we require alternatives to fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. Green hydrogen is a crucial solution in addition to renewable electricity and green heat. As a climate-neutral gas, green hydrogen offers flexibility as an energy source, especially in cases where direct use of green electricity is not feasible. For long-distance transportation it can be converted into green ammonia. Energy-intensive industries like the metal or chemical industries, as well as maritime, aviation, and heavy transportation rely on green hydrogen for decarbonization. It is an indispensable component for successful global decarbonization efforts and essential to limit climate change.

The global hydrogen momentum is strong, and project proposals are springing up all over the world: in North and South America, Europe, North, West, East and South Africa, the Gulf region, the Pacific, South and East Asia and, of course, in Central Asia. Worldwide well over 1,000 project proposals have been announced worldwide, including more than 100 at the gigawatt scale. With a total planned electrolyzer capacity of 20 gigawatts, Hyrasia One is one of the ten largest planned green hydrogen projects and certainly one of the most advanced projects in this size class.