The door to decarbonize the economy

Green hydrogen is still unknown to the majority, in recent years it has become one of the most effective alternatives to moving towards decarbonizing the planet.

This is one of the main goals for most of the world’s countries for 2050 and is necessary in a country that has traditionally relied on fossil fuels like Mexico.

Green hydrogen is clean energy obtained after decarbonizing hydrogen, which is currently estimated to be responsible for 2% of the world’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Promoting clean energy is essential on a planet where electricity is being used more and more. Also in Mexico, because according to the National Center for Energy Control (Cenace), final consumption of electricity (GWh) growth is estimated at 3.2% per year on average until 2035, which is higher than the projected increase in GDP per year over that same period.

In this way, the National Electrical System (SEN) will go from a total consumption of 328,213 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2021 to one of 480,396 gigawatt-hours by 2035, according to SENSE forecasts.

Faced with the obvious need for more energy: what can be done so that it does not pollute?

This is how green hydrogen is obtained

Composed of a proton and an electron, hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant chemical element in the universe. Although it is almost never found in isolation, it joins with other elements and forms more complex molecules, such as water (H2O).

Hydrogen can be used as a fuel and has the advantage that it releases energy without emitting polluting gases because the reaction with oxygen during combustion is very clean and generates water vapor.

Hydrogen has many uses: transportation, fuel, electricity generation, and even liquefaction and export.

But this does not mean that hydrogen is clean if dirty sources are used during the production process – it is separated from other elements.

Therefore, there is brown or black hydrogen (from coal gasification), gray (from methane or natural gas) and even blue (when using new technologies to capture the carbon released).

But there is the so-called green hydrogen, which is obtained by electrolysis. This process consists of cracking water obtained from renewable sources, breaking down water molecules (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen.

Before starting the process, the water used for electrolysis must contain salts and minerals to conduct electricity. If electricity from renewable sources is used in this electrolysis process, the energy will be produced again without emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That is, with zero emissions and in line with the Paris Agreement, to which Mexico has been a party since 2016.

A leader in the energy sector

Aiming to be at the forefront of the energy transition, Iberdrola is leading the development of green hydrogen with more than 60 projects in eight countries (Spain, UK, Brazil, US, among others) to respond to the world’s decarbonization needs.

Within Iberdrola’s 2030 investment plan, amounting to 150 billion euros, green hydrogen will be a significant growth vector because at least 9 billion euros will have to be invested in the electrolyzer until that date.

With more than two decades of presence in Mexico, Iberdrola seeks energy alternatives that benefit the environment and efficiently generate clean electricity through wind and photovoltaic projects.

Currently, Iberdrola’s renewable energy facilities in Mexico total 10 parks; 7 from wind power (693 MW) and 3 from photovoltaic cells (470 MW), which take advantage of the country’s excellent solar radiation, as well as its wind, in states such as Puebla, Oaxaca, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Sonora.

Smart Solar Energy: Smart Panels

Smart Solar was born with the aim of helping companies take advantage of the photovoltaic systems in their facilities without having to make the huge investment required for this type of project.

This program is responsible for the design, construction, and installation of a PV system at company facilities that require it, allowing power generation for self-consumption.

Under the Smart Solar scheme, companies can allocate an area that is not normally used – such as the roof of their facilities – to reduce their electricity bill through self-consumption and carbon emissions.

And all this without the need for large investments, since the technological and financial risks associated with the implementation of this type of project are transferred to Iberdrola.

The added value of initiatives such as Smart Solar, as well as the rest of the company’s solutions, strive to provide customers with tools to be more competitive at no additional cost to them.