Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Ireland: How Do They Work?
Hydrogen fuel cells are touted as the future of renewable energy. As the energy crisis and climate change have highlighted the inefficiencies of burning fossil fuels, hydrogen fuel cells can provide clean, renewable energy to help solve our energy problems. In our hydrogen fuel cells guide, we’ll walk you through what we’re doing in Ireland to develop hydrogen fuel cells even further!
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What Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Ireland?
Using hydrogen for fuel has quickly become one of the main solutions to both the climate crisis and the energy crisis. Being able to generate electricity to power our cars, houses, and busy lives from the most common element in the world would be a great advantage. In Ireland, hydrogen has such huge potential as a fuel source and it’s already playing a vital role in our energy transition!
How Do Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work?
A hydrogen fuel cell relies on an electrochemical reaction that produces electricity, heat, and water as a result of the process. Inside a hydrogen fuel cell, there are two electrodes: the first is the negative anode, where the hydrogen atoms enter, and the second is a positive cathode, through which the oxygen is passed through.
When the hydrogen atoms pass through the anode, they are split into electrons and protons. The electrons are sent through an electric circuit to generate electricity whereas the protons pass through an electrolyte membrane to reach the cathode. The electrons and protons then combine with oxygen, producing water and heat.
How much energy does a hydrogen fuel cell produce? A hydrogen fuel cell operating on its own won’t produce much energy. For them to be effective, several hydrogen fuel cells are organised into stacks to generate a lot more power to make them effective. This is similar to some solar panel cells which need a number of them to make them more efficient in generating energy.
What Are the Different Types of Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
There isn’t just one type of hydrogen fuel cell that uses just one method to produce hydrogen, but actually many different types. These different types rely on different methods and energy sources for the hydrogen extraction process:
| Type | Energy Source | Extraction Method | Carbon Emissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Hydrogen | Renewable | Electrolysis | Zero |
| Blue Hydrogen | Natural Gas | Reformer and CCS* | Low |
| Grey Hydrogen | Natural Gas | Reformer | High |
| Turquoise Hydrogen | Natural Gas | Methane Pyrolysis | Low |
| Pink Hydrogen | Nuclear Energy | Electrolysis | Low |
| Yellow Hydrogen | Biomass | Biomass Gasification | Low |
| Other Types | Electricity Grid | Electrolysis | Depends on grid |
*CCS stands for Carbon Capture and Storage
Source: Consultation on Developing a Hydrogen Strategy for Ireland, pg. 3
Last Updated: 10/03/2023
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Why Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells Beneficial?
Hydrogen fuel cells have a tremendous amount of advantages that could help transform the way in which we generate electricity and run our lives. Especially when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint as a country as well as developing new sources of energy to hit our Paris Agreement commitments.
What Are the Main Advantages of Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
Here are some of the main advantages of hydrogen fuel cells as new source of energy compared to others:
- Completely Renewable
Hydrogen is a completely renewable and sustainable source of energy. As an element, it occurs in over 90% of materials in the universe and so is readily available for us to use as an energy source. It’s so abundant it’s almost like the sunlight for solar panels or the wind. - High Efficiency
Compared to other fuels, as well as green energy sources, hydrogen fuel cells are much more efficient. For instance, a traditional power plant will operate at 35% efficiency whereas hydrogen will offer efficiency rates of over 60% to 65%. Compare this to PV solar panels with an efficiency of under 30%. - No Carbon Emissions
As a country, Ireland has a lot of work to do in reducing its carbon emissions. Hydrogen fuel cells produce practically no greenhouse gas emissions since its only output is water and heat. Hydrogen is also less carbon intensive than any other energy source, only producing 4 gigatons of carbon equivalent (gtCO2e) to make, which is much lower than natural gas from fracking, which produces 469 gtCO2e. - Zero Pollution
The biggest advantage of using hydrogen fuel cells is the fact that they produce almost zero-pollution. For example, since they don’t burn fossil fuels, hydrogen-powered cars don’t have an impact on air pollution giving over to cleaner air. They also don’t produce any noise or visual pollution like wind power. - Long Usage
In regards to electric cars, ones with hydrogen fuel cells tend to last longer on the road without needing to be recharged. There are even some hybrid cars being developed that have hydrogen fuel cells to help extend the range of the cars. Coupled together with much shorter charging times, hydrogen fuel cells are by far one of the more efficient sources.
Why Are Hydrogen Fuel Cells Difficult To Develop?
Unfortunately, hydrogen fuel cells present us with a great number of problems and challenges when it comes to developing them for greater commercial use. Like most other innovations, it’s gonna take time and investment to get hydrogen to a high standard.
What Are the Disadvantages of Hydrogen Fuel Cells?
Here are the some of those challenges and drawbacks to hydrogen fuel cells:
- Complex Extraction
Extracting the hydrogen for its use in hydrogen fuel cells is not a simple process. Since hydrogen doesn’t exist on its own, hydrogen atoms need to be extracted through processes such as electrolysis which can be very energy intensive. This can impact its efficiency hugely, taking away its edge over other sources. - Storage Problems
Hydrogen can be quite dangerous to store in large quantities and so it’s not as easy to store as other energy sources. Given this, it can be quite costly to transport and secure hydrogen to be able to use it more widely. - Βuilding the Infrastructure
The infrastructure for transporting fossil fuels and other energy sources either already in place or is being developed. In the case of hydrogen however, we still need a lot more time to be able to invest in the infrastructure to make sure it can be transported quickly and safely to where it needs to go. - Expensive
Due to the complexity involved in its storage and extraction, it’s not a secret that producing hydrogen fuel cells is hugely expensive at the moment. Whereas the costs for solar panels and wind turbines have come down a lot in the last decade, the costs of hydrogen fuel cells is still extremely high. - Flammability
Given its properties as an element, hydrogen is incredibly flammable and explosive. This naturally means there are safety concerns regarding its use in cars for example.
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What Potential Do Hydrogen Fuel Cells Have in Ireland?
Due to our position in the Atlantic ocean and our sea area size compared to our land mass, the potential for hydrogen fuel cells in Ireland is incredible. According to the Consultation on Developing a Hydrogen Strategy for Ireland published in July 2022, Ireland has no comprehensive programme for developing hydrogen, but there are some projects underway!
What Is the H2IRL Conference 2023?
Hydrogen Ireland is the main source for hydrogen-related developments in Ireland, and its main goals are to promote and clarify information on hydrogen as an energy source. They also run an annual H2IRL Conference, the latest of which took place in 2022 in November. The conference spoke on a range of topics related to:
- Hydrogen’s role in net-zero emissions
- Hydrogen regulation policy
- Hydrogen use in Europe
The next H2IRL Conference in 2023 is scheduled for later in the year.
How Are Hydrogen Fuels Cells Being Developed in Ireland?
Unfortunately, there is no coordinated programme for developing hydrogen fuel cells in Ireland, however there are some minor projects that are working on making it a reality.
Leading Hydrogen Fuel Cells Projects
Here are the current hydrogen fuel cell projects going on in Ireland at the moment:
- Indaver
Indaver is a waste management company leading the way in developing sustainable solutions to waste disposal. As part of their operations, they were given planning permission to build a 10MW hydrogen generation unit. - Bord Na Móna
Bord Na Móna has been leading in Ireland’s biomass production and started collaborating with BOC to develop and “distribute hydrogen from its Mount Lucas wind farm” according to The Currency. The joint venture involves constructing a 2MW electrolyser to produce around 500kg of green hydrogen per day. - Mercury Renewables
Mercury Renewables announced in December 2021 that it was investing €200 million into building a green hydrogen facility. According to FuelCellsWorks, the facility in Firlough will “generate enough green hydrogen to meet the demands of 1,000 fuel cell heavy good trucks' '. - National Transport Authority
The National Transport Authority with Bus Éireann started a trial of three “hydrogen-fuel-cell-electric double-deck buses” in Dublin. The project was launched in 2018, and in May 2022 found that the hydrogen buses had a higher average energy consumption (8.3 MJ/km) than other electric buses (7.5 MJ/km). This was found in the Phase 2 Report of the Low-Emission Bus Trial.
Companies Implementing Hydrogen
There are also companies that are already implementing hydrogen fuel cells into their operations:
- Whitegate Refinery
In September 2022, the Irving Oil company and Simply Blue Group decided to invest in developing green hydrogen at the Whitegate refinery. The plan also includes helping integrate green hydrogen into Ireland energy infrastructure. - BOC
BOC, as well as working on a green hydrogen project with Bord Na Móna, is integrating hydrogen into its own practices as well and producing the hydrogen for its use in other companies. For example, they are also the hydrogen supplier for the Bus Éireann trial in Dublin. - Intel
Intel in Ireland is one of the biggest users of hydrogen fuel cells and already has an extensive internal hydrogen network already up and running.
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What Is the Future of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Ireland?
Research and development on hydrogen fuel cells in Ireland is still very much in its infancy. Currently, Ireland’s main focus as part of its Climate Action Plan 2023 is very much on reducing carbon emissions with wind farms (both onshore and offshore) and solar energy, and boosting the energy efficiency of homes and businesses when it comes to heating. Hydrogen fuel cells still don’t not play a role at all in the government’s current plans.
What Needs Consideration in Future Hydrogen Plan for Ireland?
The Consultation on Developing a Hydrogen Strategy for Ireland does outline some key questions that need to be addressed before hydrogen can be seen to be having a central role in Ireland’s green energy policy. After considering some of these, however, the investment might finally arrive to help Ireland develop a comprehensive plan for hydrogen fuel cells:
- Hydrogen Research
Key areas related to hydrogen fuel cells need to be worked on, especially in regards to the challenges that developing the fuel cells present. The way hydrogen can be implemented into Ireland’s overall energy strategy needs also to be considered. - Hydrogen Demand
Assessing the demand for hydrogen fuel cells in Ireland will give a better idea for its application and role in the Irish energy market. This is also important to get an understanding of where hydrogen fuel cell development should be placed in order of priority. - Hydrogen Supply
To complement demand side research, research on the hydrogen supply needs to be assessed, including investigating cost-effective ways of bringing hydrogen fuel cells into commercial use as well as how to make electrolysers financially viable. - Hydrogen Storage
Research into hydrogen storage and how it can be transported needs to be done before we can put together an extensive infrastructure plan for developing hydrogen in Ireland. Reducing problems such as the explosiveness of hydrogen will make it much safer for wider commercial usage. - Hydrogen and Energy Security
Lastly, hydrogen needs to be assessed in order to make sure it can play a role in Ireland’s energy security. This also includes looking into how hydrogen could be secured to insure against energy crises.
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