Blue hydrogen
Topic: Environment and Sustainable Development · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Blue hydrogen is hydrogen made from natural gas, with the resulting CO2 captured and stored instead of released into the air. This capture relies on CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage), which traps CO2 for industrial use or stores it underground. Blue hydrogen is cleaner than grey hydrogen but still depends on fossil fuel. It is often seen as a bridge until green hydrogen becomes cheap.
Example
Suppose a refinery makes hydrogen from natural gas and pipes the CO2 into underground storage. That is blue hydrogen. India's National Green Hydrogen Mission (January 2023) instead targets 5 MMT a year of green hydrogen by 2030. Under India's 2023 standard, green hydrogen must emit no more than 2 kg CO2e per kg of hydrogen.
Don't confuse with
- Grey hydrogen: also made from natural gas or other fossil fuels, but its CO2 is released into the air.
- Green hydrogen: made by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable power, with near-zero emissions.
Related concepts
- Energy transition
- Energy trilemma
- Energy intensity
- Coal phase-down
- Grey hydrogen
- Green hydrogen
- Green ammonia
- Hydrogen economy
- Green premium
- Carbon capture, utilisation and storage