Study shows hydrogen made from natural gas dirtier than burning the natural gas directly

Hydrogen has been long considered to be an alternative fuel that could help stem emissions from cars, trucks, planes, and other forms of transportation. However, a new study reveals that the ways in which we manufacture hydrogen in the United States may actually be doing more damage to the environment than good.

Before we delve into the study, it's important to know that the The New York Times headline, "For Many, Hydrogen Is the Fuel of the Future. New Research Raises Doubts" can be confusing if you don't read the full article. That's because it's not hydrogen that's the culprit, but natural gas. And unfortunately, natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel, is the primary method of making hydrogen in the United States.

So-called "blue hydrogen" requires the burning of natural gas to split water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules, where it can then be used, for example, in hydrogen fuel cell powertrains.

According to a new study published in the journal Energy Science & Engineering, the mining of natural gas creates significant quantities of carbon dioxide. Not only that, but the study also found that during the natural gas mining process as much as 3.5% of the gas leaks into the atmosphere, a consequential portion of which is methane. Methane can be, by some estimates, 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide in regards to the greenhouse effect. Of course, even that number has nuances that depend on time and source.

In fact, the Energy Science & Engineering study shows that as a result of these previously unknown figures, it would be less polluting just to burn the natural gas directly rather than convert it to blue hydrogen.