Applications
Hydrogen applications in process industries have been on the rise in the past few decades, driven mainly by a few specific applications:
- Refinery equipment such as hydrocrackers, hydrotreater, and isomerization units need hydrogen in order to convert lower-value feedstock into middle distillates and to remove unwanted products.
- The building block of fertilizer manufacturing is ammonia (NH3), produced by combining hydrogen and nitrogen.
- Iron and steel producers are starting to use hydrogen instead of carbon as an agent in making direct reduced iron (DRI).
In addition, chemical companies recognize the potential of hydrogen rather than fossil fuels as both feedstock and energy source.
Currently, much of the hydrogen produced for process industries uses natural gas or coal as the feedstock. This is referred to as either gray hydrogen (when the CO2 byproduct is not captured) or blue hydrogen (when carbon is captured and stored). As countries work toward decarbonizing their economies, the key will be green hydrogen: H2 produced by electrolyzing water using renewable energy sources like solar and wind.
One barrier to wider hydrogen adoption is that hydrogen processing, production, distribution, and storage exposes equipment to extreme conditions, with temperatures as low as −423°F (−253°C) and pressures of 5,000–10,000 psi (350–700 bar) or more. There is also the issue of hydrogen’s negative impact on metals and other materials.
WIKA has long been a partner to process industries, offering accurate, reliable instruments that increase efficiency and safety. With a proven track record of resolving difficult measuring challenges, we are well-positioned to help customers adopt hydrogen as a way to remain economically viable in the long term and to move closer to the goal of carbon neutrality.
