Hydrogen may not be such a holy grail after all.

Governments and companies are increasingly turning to green hydrogen as an alternative to gas. But new scientific research shows that misuse can actually cause global warming.

“In principle, there is nothing wrong with hydrogen,” says Marc Beckois, energy and climate correspondent for BNR. “If you do that well, you’ll be fine. But if the hydrogen escapes during transportation or connecting a tank, it enters the atmosphere as a kind of greenhouse gas. And therein lies the problem.

The bottom line is that it has an effect on methane. This is a very potent greenhouse gas and decomposes in the atmosphere over time, but the effect of hydrogen slows this process. This means that methane stays in the air longer, which in effect causes the Earth to warm.

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Many scientific publications have been written on this topic now, but there is not much knowledge about it yet. “But this is exciting,” says Beekhuis, “because right now there are no records kept of how much hydrogen has leaked out.” So we don’t really know how big this problem is.

Caution is advised

However, according to Beekhuis, it is important to handle hydrogen more carefully. Many scientists claim that it is a big problem, so laws should be enacted that pipe and tank inspection should be improved. Think about regular check-ups and maintenance.

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The British study that Beekhuis is referring to says that the impact of current measures to combat climate change can already be considered lost at a loss of 10%. Hydrogen is being pulled in in all directions, especially by ships. This is where the hydrogen loss is greatest. It is estimated to be a thirteen percent loss. “

The Beekhuis thinks stopping hydrogen goes a long way. “It’s especially important that we pay close attention to how we handle hydrogen.”