TITLE:
Green Hydrogen: Perspectives and Challenges in Using the Natural Gas Network in Ceará/Brazil
AUTHORS:
Francisco Alfredo de Castro, Mona Lisa Moura de Oliveira, Lutero Carmo de Lima, Daniel Silveira Serra
KEYWORDS:
Decarbonization, Natural Gas, Green Hydrogen, Pipelines
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
22,
2024
ABSTRACT: Climate change, mainly caused by the use of non-renewable fuels, has
raised global concerns and led to the search for less polluting energy sources,
making hydrogen a promising energy alternative with the potential to contribute
to changes in the energy mix of various countries through the use of
technologies that enable its production and use with low or zero carbon
emissions. In this context, Brazil has aroused great interest from other
countries in exploring its renewable resources for the production of hydrogen
(green hydrogen). In this sense, the use of natural gas pipelines and the use
of hydrogen in mixtures with natural gas have become the subject of studies due
to their economically viable alternative for the immediate use of this energy
vector. However, there are still technical and regulatory challenges regarding
the integration of hydrogen into the existing natural gas pipeline network. In
this context, the present study aims to address the effects of hydrogen
interaction with the structure of natural gas pipeline steel and the regulatory
barriers to the use of this network for the transportation of green hydrogen,
particularly in the state of Ceará/Brazil. After extensive analysis of
literature and regulatory documents, it was concluded that: 1) Ceará/Brazil has strong
potential to meet the demand for green hydrogen through the use of solar and
wind energy sources; 2) there
is feasibility for the adaptation or conversion of natural gas infrastructure
for the transportation of green hydrogen; 3) discussions regarding the regulatory competence of
green hydrogen transportation and distribution through the natural gas network
in Brazil are still incipient; 4) the
current regulation of the natural gas industry can serve as a subsidy for the
regulation of green hydrogen and natural gas transportation.