Industrial operations use a lot of energy and raw materials – but a sustainable alternative to fossil-derived feedstocks is now gaining momentum! Henkel’s growing portfolio of game-changing innovations is enabling safer and more cost-effective production, storage, transportation and use of green hydrogen. Pioneering companies across industries worldwide are embracing this opportunity to decarbonize their operations by replacing fossil-fuel based feedstocks with a sustainable alternative.
Success Story
State-of-the-art technologies are enabling rapid advances in green hydrogen infrastructure
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Energy demand is rising, and prices are volatile. In response, many governments are targeting energy independence. At the same time, net-zero goals and increasingly strict regulations for emission reduction are accelerating the global search for more sustainable energy sources and raw materials. Green hydrogen is emerging as a high-potential solution because it is nearly three times as energy-rich as gasoline or diesel – making it an ideal source for generating electricity and heat, while also serving as an industrial raw material.
50 %
of the world’s energy will come from electricity and hydrogen by 2050, according to one study by McKinsey & Company.1
Hydrogen has been used in industrial applications for many years. However, producing hydrogen typically involves burning natural gas, which generates CO₂ emissions. Green hydrogen is a more sustainable method of producing this powerful feedstock. Innovations from Henkel are supporting the growth of the green hydrogen economy by boosting safety and cutting costs.
Want details about our portfolio for green hydrogen? Read more…
Different types of hydrogen
Hydrogen is produced by passing electricity through water to separate hydrogen and oxygen molecules. After this electrolysis process, the oxygen molecules are released, and the hydrogen molecules get stored.
There are different ways of producing hydrogen and each method is attributed a certain color in line with its environmental impact. Gray hydrogen, for example, is produced using electricity that comes from burning natural gas and releasing the resulting CO2 into the atmosphere. For blue hydrogen, electricity also comes from burning gas, but the released CO2 is captured and stored underground. That makes it a more environmentally compatible approach.
But there is a better way: green hydrogen. Here, the electricity used for production comes from renewable sources like solar panels or wind turbines.
By helping to scale-up green hydrogen with our innovations, we are accelerating progress toward net-zero for industrial operations.
Seza Eraydin, Sustainability Lead, Henkel Adhesives Technologies
Swapping fossil energy sources and materials for green hydrogen enables lower-carbon operations within industries that are tough to decarbonize, such as the steel, cement, chemical and transportation sectors. It also strengthens the overall business case for renewable energy grids because surplus energy from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines is difficult to store – but can be stored if it is converted into hydrogen.
Types of hydrogen.2
Speaking about leaking
It sounds great – but some challenges are holding back green hydrogen. It is expensive to operate an electrolysis plant, for example, so there is a need to boost efficiency, ensure durability and cut process costs in these facilities. Furthermore, green hydrogen currently makes up around 0.1 percent of global hydrogen production3. Because it is still fairly uncommon, only a few fully certified solutions are available for hydrogen production, storage and transportation. However, green hydrogen is expected to become more common as the cost of renewable energy continues to fall and the push for net-zero gathers momentum.
Leaks are a major challenge for this sustainable feedstock. Hydrogen molecules are very small, which makes them difficult to trap or seal. The gas is also highly flammable, so leaks present a fire safety risk. Detecting leaks requires specialized technologies because hydrogen is odorless, colorless and tasteless. In addition, leaks contribute to climate change because hydrogen can react with methane and other greenhouse gases to extend their lifetime. And on top of all this, leaks make hydrogen production processes less cost-effective.
Solving these challenges is the key to scaling up green hydrogen and making it a truly viable alternative to fossil-based feedstocks.
Sealing up and locking down
Henkel is a leading provider of adhesives, sealants and functional coatings for a uniquely broad range of industries around the globe. Our researchers are actively adapting our technologies to solve the specific challenges for green hydrogen and accelerate growth for this sustainable feedstock.
Our products support efficient electrolysis processes, storage, transportation and use of green hydrogen. Examples include thread sealants, flange sealants and threadlockers from LOCTITE that stop leaks and prevent loosening of threaded connections along every step in the value chain – including electrolysis systems, valves, compressors, pumps, storage systems, fuel cells and other assets that are used in the green hydrogen economy. In addition, our engineers are adapting the successful LOCTITE Pulse smart maintenance technology to boost safety and cut costs by detecting and preventing hydrogen leaks.
Green hydrogen is a high-potential solution for decarbonizing industries where direct electrification is not realistic.
Damir Biondic, Global Market Strategy & Intelligence Manager, Henkel Adhesives Technologies
We’re collaborating with customers to test new solutions together and develop reliable, high-performance technologies for green hydrogen.
Simone Zanetti, Global Application Engineer, Henkel Adhesives Technologies
Working closely with customers gives our team valuable insights into their specific needs related to embracing green hydrogen.
Bahar Cabbar, Global Market & Customer Activation Manager, Henkel Adhesives Technologies
We’re proud to provide our customers with certified and externally tested leak-proof solutions for green hydrogen.
Mike Shannahan, Global Market & Application Manager, Henkel Adhesives Technologies
Constant collaboration
Strong partnerships and co-innovation are at the heart of our efforts to promote green hydrogen. Our teams work side by side with customers and other stakeholders to expand our portfolio for this market. In this way, we are developing solutions for additional applications, temperatures, pressure levels and much more. Innovators are now diversifying Henkel’s range of products by designing new flange sealants, gasketing solutions, pipe repair products, barrier coatings and other technologies for green hydrogen.
One powerful example is our collaboration with KIWA, a certification body based in the Netherlands that specializes in hydrogen sealing. Right now, there are no universal standards for the hydrogen economy. By working with KIWA, Henkel has successfully certified five thread sealants for this growing market, with more certifications planned in the near future. This gives customers trust in the performance and reliability of our green hydrogen products.
5
KIWA certified, Hydrogen Ready Loctite Thread Sealants
We have also entered a close partnership with Hyfindr, a leading digital marketplace for technologies related to the green hydrogen economy. By positioning our products on this platform, we are raising awareness of the possibilities for safe and cost-effective green hydrogen production to provide viable and sustainable feedstock for industry.
Get ahead with green hydrogen
Several unpredictable factors will play a role in the future of green hydrogen – like regulatory changes, carbon tax schemes and green energy subsidies. However, there is rising optimism about the exciting potential for green hydrogen to support a clean energy transition for industry.
At Henkel, our experts always stay up to date about the latest developments in this market – and about sustainability trends overall. That is how we constantly expand our knowledge of material science and find new ways of solving global challenges.
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