New ODOE Study Outlines Potential for Renewable Hydrogen Production and Use in Oregon

The Oregon Department of Energy published a new report on renewable hydrogen – what it is, how it’s made, what it might cost, and where it might best fit within the vision of a decarbonized economy in Oregon and beyond.

The 2021 Oregon Legislature directed ODOE to complete the study, including hydrogen’s current use in Oregon and the potential opportunities and barriers to increasing production and use.

Most of the hydrogen used worldwide today is produced using fossil fuels (mostly natural gas and coal). About 94 million tons of hydrogen was produced globally in 2021, resulting in emissions of over 900 million metric tons of CO2, or about the same amount of emissions as worldwide commercial aviation in 2019.

However, renewable hydrogen can be produced using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas using an electrolyzer – and there is unprecedented interest in renewable hydrogen for its potential to address climate change. ODOE’s study finds that the likeliest end uses for renewable hydrogen in Oregon by 2030 will be, in relative order of value: as a substitute for fossil hydrogen, to create high-temperature heat for industry, as a medium- and heavy-duty transportation fuel, in production of chemicals (including fertilizer), as energy storage, as back-up power, for electricity generation, and for blending into the natural gas pipeline.

To strategically take advantage of renewable hydrogen to meet the state’s clean energy and climate goals, ODOE recommends creating a renewable hydrogen roadmap as part of development of a larger statewide energy strategy.

Learn more and read the report on ODOE’s website: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/rh2.aspx