IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-35419-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Risk of the hydrogen economy for atmospheric methane

Author

Listed:
  • Matteo B. Bertagni

    (Princeton University)

  • Stephen W. Pacala

    (Princeton University)

  • Fabien Paulot

    (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

  • Amilcare Porporato

    (Princeton University
    Princeton University)

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) is expected to play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, hydrogen losses to the atmosphere impact atmospheric chemistry, including positive feedback on methane (CH4), the second most important greenhouse gas. Here we investigate through a minimalist model the response of atmospheric methane to fossil fuel displacement by hydrogen. We find that CH4 concentration may increase or decrease depending on the amount of hydrogen lost to the atmosphere and the methane emissions associated with hydrogen production. Green H2 can mitigate atmospheric methane if hydrogen losses throughout the value chain are below 9 ± 3%. Blue H2 can reduce methane emissions only if methane losses are below 1%. We address and discuss the main uncertainties in our results and the implications for the decarbonization of the energy sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo B. Bertagni & Stephen W. Pacala & Fabien Paulot & Amilcare Porporato, 2022. "Risk of the hydrogen economy for atmospheric methane," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35419-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35419-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35419-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-35419-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mukan Ji & Chris Greening & Inka Vanwonterghem & Carlo R. Carere & Sean K. Bay & Jason A. Steen & Kate Montgomery & Thomas Lines & John Beardall & Josie van Dorst & Ian Snape & Matthew B. Stott & Phil, 2017. "Atmospheric trace gases support primary production in Antarctic desert surface soil," Nature, Nature, vol. 552(7685), pages 400-403, December.
    2. Stefan Schwietzke & Owen A. Sherwood & Lori M. P. Bruhwiler & John B. Miller & Giuseppe Etiope & Edward J. Dlugokencky & Sylvia Englund Michel & Victoria A. Arling & Bruce H. Vaughn & James W. C. Whit, 2016. "Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database," Nature, Nature, vol. 538(7623), pages 88-91, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fo-Ting Shen & Shih-Han Lin, 2021. "Shifts in Bacterial Community Associated with Green Manure Soybean Intercropping and Edaphic Properties in a Tea Plantation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-16, October.
    2. Maximiliano Ortiz, 2024. "All-inclusive nitrifiers in Antarctic soils," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-3, December.
    3. Kemfert, Claudia & Präger, Fabian & Braunger, Isabell & Hoffart, Franziska M. & Brauers, Hanna, 2022. "The expansion of natural gas infrastructure puts energy transitions at risk," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 7, pages 582-587.
    4. Chin-Hsien Cheng & Simon A. T. Redfern, 2022. "Impact of interannual and multidecadal trends on methane-climate feedbacks and sensitivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Min Zhang & Yan Qiu & Chunling Li & Tao Cui & Mingxing Yang & Jun Yan & Wu Yang, 2023. "A Habitable Earth and Carbon Neutrality: Mission and Challenges Facing Resources and the Environment in China—An Overview," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-35, January.
    6. Pavel Serov & Rune Mattingsdal & Monica Winsborrow & Henry Patton & Karin Andreassen, 2023. "Widespread natural methane and oil leakage from sub-marine Arctic reservoirs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. Hoffart, Franziska, 2022. "What is a feasible and 1.5°C-aligned hydrogen infrastructure for Germany? A multi-criteria economic study based on socio-technical energy scenarios," Ruhr Economic Papers 979, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    8. Lu Shen & Daniel J. Jacob & Ritesh Gautam & Mark Omara & Tia R. Scarpelli & Alba Lorente & Daniel Zavala-Araiza & Xiao Lu & Zichong Chen & Jintai Lin, 2023. "National quantifications of methane emissions from fuel exploitation using high resolution inversions of satellite observations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    9. Xiaoqian Li & Jianwei Xing & Shouji Pang & Youhai Zhu & Shuai Zhang & Rui Xiao & Cheng Lu, 2022. "Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Gas Hydrate Release and Its Significance on Seasonal Wetland Methane Emission in the Muli Permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, February.
    10. Anders Arvesen & Steve Völler & Christine Roxanne Hung & Volker Krey & Magnus Korpås & Anders Hammer Strømman, 2021. "Emissions of electric vehicle charging in future scenarios: The effects of time of charging," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1250-1263, October.
    11. Titchener, James & Millington-Smith, Doug & Goldsack, Chris & Harrison, George & Dunning, Alexander & Ai, Xiao & Reed, Murray, 2022. "Single photon Lidar gas imagers for practical and widespread continuous methane monitoring," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PB).
    12. Ping Han & Xiufeng Tang & Hanna Koch & Xiyang Dong & Lijun Hou & Danhe Wang & Qian Zhao & Zhe Li & Min Liu & Sebastian Lücker & Guitao Shi, 2024. "Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-35419-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.