Hydroxanh - an important solution to realize the Net zero commitment

At the COP26 Climate Summit held in Glasgow (Scotland), Vietnam, along with many countries around the world , committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this goal, many experts consider Green Hydrogen to be one of the important solutions.

Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water through electrolysis, using electricity generated from renewable energy. This process produces only hydrogen and oxygen. We can use the hydrogen and release the oxygen into the atmosphere without any negative impacts. This is one of the cleanest ways to produce hydrogen, which can then be used as fuel.

Green hydrogen is useful in combating climate change because it can replace fossil fuels in applications where decarbonization is complex, such as maritime and aviation transport or certain industrial processes. Furthermore, it has great potential as a seasonal (long-term) energy storage system, which can store energy over a long period of time and then release it on demand.

Many experts consider Green Hydrogen to be one of the important solutions for Vietnam to fulfill its commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at COP 26.

Experts from UNDP in Vietnam said that the Vietnamese Government has seen the potential impacts of climate change and is making efforts to implement solutions through its commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at COP26, along with a four-fold increase in solar and wind power capacity since 2019. At the same time, it announced the US$15.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership with a coalition of international partners (JETP), and several representatives of other partners.

However, Vietnam needs to make good use of effective alternative energy sources, including green hydrogen from the sun and wind. Green hydrogen is considered a carbon-free energy that can be stored and then released in a controlled manner elsewhere, similar to lithium batteries that store electricity.

Dr. Pham Duy Hoang, Research Expert of the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIETSE), shared: “Vietnam has the potential to develop green hydrogen from abundant renewable energy sources. Green hydrogen is clean energy that can replace fossil fuels/fuels currently used in a number of industrial production and transportation sectors, contributing to the energy transition process. Developing the green hydrogen industry in the future will not only contribute to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also help Vietnam move towards a low-carbon economy .”

Producing green hydrogen from solar cells. (Photo: nghenhinvietnam)

However, to date, Vietnam has not announced specific targets or plans for the development of green hydrogen. Based on the emission reduction targets of each sector, economic efficiency, and the level of technological readiness and corresponding infrastructure in Vietnam, the Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (VIETSE) has developed three hydrogen development scenarios.

Specifically, Scenario 1 (current policy scenario) is calculated based on government policies on emission reduction roadmap in each industry, transportation, and energy sector; Scenario 2 (technology lag scenario) is calculated based on technology development trends in the world, Vietnam's capabilities, and domestic market demand; Scenario 3 (acceleration scenario) sets out the ambition that Vietnam will go hand in hand with technology development and have enough capacity to produce hydrogen to meet domestic and export demand.

Accordingly, by 2050, Vietnam will have an annual demand of 58.3 million tons of clean hydrogen (current policy scenario); 4.4 million tons of clean hydrogen (technology lag scenario) and 9.17 million tons of clean hydrogen (accelerated scenario). Experts attending the discussion pointed out that the demand for hydrogen in the current policy scenario is higher than the supply capacity stated in the draft National Energy Plan. For Vietnam, green hydrogen should be prioritized for use in industrial production (fertilizer, oil refining, steel, cement), transportation (long-haul trucks, passenger cars, maritime and aviation transport), energy (flexible generation sources), and for export.

To promote green hydrogen development by 2030, according to experts, Vietnam needs to develop policies, regulations, and guidelines for green hydrogen development; implement pilot projects. At the same time, develop policies to encourage the production and use of green hydrogen; develop infrastructure and supply chains. Develop technical standards and guidelines on safety in the production, storage, and transportation of hydrogen.

Ngoc Chau