Efforts to advance decarbonization will unleash dramatic changes in the way the world moves, putting the transportation industry at the edge of extraordinary transformation.
By Nick Buccheri • President | Americas — Discrete Automation at Emerson
To address and hopefully prevent the most extreme anticipated effects of climate change, decarbonization has become a driving strategy for governments and industries across the globe. With the introduction of legislation that incorporates ambitious net-zero carbon emission goals, nearly every industry, including the transportation sector, is being challenged to find new ways to decarbonize.
The transportation sector is responsible for 29% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, transportation has a significant opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint through energy-efficient and low-emissions technology.
The TESCOM HV-3500 Series Two-Stage Pressure-Reducing Regulator is specially designed for use onboard industrial and commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The HV-3500 allows manufacturers to maximize fuel efficiency and keep fleets on the road for longer distances. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
However, simply limiting or capturing carbon emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles will not be enough over the long term. For the industry to see real progress and reach net-zero targets, the ultimate goal is clear: all vehicles must generate and transfer energy without carbon emissions.
Across every segment of the transportation industry, companies are exploring and investing in a variety of new transportation platforms and solutions using carbon-free energy. It’s clear there is no single solution: to realize net-zero emissions targets and actually decarbonize future roads and rails will require a combination of emission-free vehicles’ technologies. Battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles are the two most viable transportation technologies with the greatest decarbonization potential to move the net-zero future closer to reality. Battery-electric vehicles are the fastest-growing technology, but they’re not the total answer; they have performance gaps that hydrogen-powered vehicles can effectively fill.
Carbon-free vehicles move forward
Government regulations and initiatives, combined with the launch of tested and proven net-zero technology, are driving the fossil fuels to carbon-free energy sources transition in stages. Multiple technology areas are being supported, such as improving internal combustion engine efficiency, using incentives to promote adoption of battery-electric vehicles, and investing in advances in the promise and potential of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
The rapid growth of battery electric vehicles, particularly in the last 15-20 years, is undeniable; its benefits — and limitations — are evident. Although battery storage and energy consumption efficiencies are improving, battery-electric vehicles remain ideal for short distances. Their limited mileage between recharging makes them less viable for frequent, long-distance travel that is standard for the commercial trucking industry. A long-haul truck that is battery-powered and carrying the same full cargo load as an internal combustion engine truck has to be equipped with a large, heavy-duty battery, potentially reducing its ability to carry the same load or requiring more recharging stops.
It’s useful to appreciate that existing industrial and technological infrastructure and equipment can be used to sustain the decarbonization transition. For example, existing internal combustion engine technology can be adapted for hydrogen combustion, using hydrogen as the fuel, rather than gasoline or diesel. In certain applications, like heavy construction machinery that requires short bursts of high-power output, hydrogen combustion may offer a useful alternative to hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Hydrogen combustion engines have drawbacks — such as emissions — that limit its value in other applications. Hydrogen combustion does not produce any carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; however, the heat of hydrogen combustion in the presence of nitrogen gas (N2) generates nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions, which are pollutants. In addition, hydrogen fuel cell efficiencies can exceed 50%, while hydrogen combustion, alternatively, typically yields 25% to 30% efficiency.
Weight is another critical factor when comparing hydrogen fuel cells and battery storage, especially when considering over-the-road freight transport. For the same energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells are much lighter compared to batteries, enabling hydrogen fuel cell-equipped trucks to haul approximately the same tonnage as diesel trucks. Hydrogen tanks also take much less time to refuel compared to recharging freight truck batteries, maximizing drive time for long-distance routes.
A range of options
With government backing and large-scale projects planned around the globe, the hydrogen industry is positioned to grow quickly.
Commercial vehicles
Long-haul freight trucks using hydrogen technology offer a significant platform to help decarbonize a major segment of our transportation infrastructure. Compared to battery-electric long-haul trucks, their refueling times are shorter and they can travel longer distances between refueling (or recharging) stops. For example: A Swiss-based fleet of hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty trucks has logged over more than 3 million miles since 2020. In addition, several major consumer packaged goods companies are testing hydrogen-powered semi-trucks to replace their diesel fleets.
Public transportation is also exploring more hydrogen fuel cell applications: New York City recently received a grant for its first two fuel cell buses and hydrogen-supporting fueling station. The buses are expected to carry their first passengers by the end of 2024.
Trains
Passenger trains in many systems worldwide mix electrically powered locomotives drawing power from overhead lines or third rails with a significant number of diesel generator trains. Hydrogen fuel cell electric generators can replace these diesel-electric locomotives. These trains will typically have the capacity to store enough hydrogen for long-distance routes. This means the hydrogen refueling infrastructure can be spaced out, helping reduce the cost of transition to hydrogen fuel cell technology and accelerate adoption.
“Hydrarail” — railway vehicles powered by on-board hydrogen fuel — has already been launched. In 2018, a passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cell began operating in Germany, traveling 1,175 kilometers without refueling its hydrogen tank.
Solutions such as the TESCOM 26-2000 Series Venting Pressure Regulator are designed to provide a safe, reliable and precise process control in the hydrogen industry. (Image courtesy of Emerson)
Driving a greener future
Putting all plans for a decarbonized transportation future on one technology risks slowing down the transition to a zero-emissions future. Green hydrogen fuel cell-electric and battery-electric vehicle technologies have the potential to substantially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the transportation sector. At this juncture, the right path forward for the industry and the planet is to take both ways. Because their distinct advantages fulfill different areas of the transportation sector, decarbonization is not a matter of “battery or fuel cell” but “battery and fuel cell.”
Although green hydrogen is not as fully developed or widely used as battery-electric technology, it’s already proving its worth and offers significant potential to address the needs of key transportation segments. With decisive, smart investment across the entire value chain, the hydrogen industry can successfully ramp up its technologies, scale up the necessary infrastructure and help reach the carbon-free future we’re driving toward.
Emerson
www.emerson.com
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