To begin with, because green hydrogen is produced by electrolyzing water with electricity produced from sources of renewable energy like the sun, wind, and hydropower, it is unlike any other clean fuel.

Hydrogen and oxygen molecules are separated from water using electrolysis. In order to understand the fundamental ideas behind the generation of green hydrogen, it is crucial to define the terms ‘water’ and ‘renewable energy’.

General Overview

First of all, grey and blue hydrogen are also produced from natural gas; the latter uses carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions. Green hydrogen is produced from renewable resources. On that note, grey and blue hydrogen are made from fossil fuels, whereas green hydrogen is created with the use of renewable energy. Additionally, green hydrogen, as opposed to its grey and blue siblings, produces no carbon emissions; a crucial point that is valued in the industry.

Petroleum refinery is the primary use of hydrogen. The generated hydrogen can also be utilized as a substitute fuel for natural gas in space heating. Particularly in cold environments, a heating tube in the oil tanks uses natural gas as fuel to maintain a high temperature to separate the solid, oil, and water. CO2 emissions are reduced nonlinearly when hydrogen is added to methane as fuel. A fuel rich in hydrogen, containing 20%–75% of hydrogen by volume, reduces CO2 emissions by anywhere up to half. By substituting hydrogen for natural gas, alternative fuels can cut CO2 emissions by 5 kg CO2/bbl of crude oil produced.

Furthermore, a well-known method for meeting the growing demand for clean fuels and expanding hydrogen conversion and treatment capacity is the creation of hydrogen in oil refineries. In addition to removing metals, nitrogen, and sulphur from various petroleum fractions, hydrogen is required to transform heavy petroleum fractions into lighter products. As a matter of fact, the grade of the processed crude oil affects the refineries’ need for hydrogen as well; heavier crude oils require more hydrogen.

Nevertheless, working at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution is exhilarating, but it also poses a hurdle to recruiting from established energy industries like oil and gas. Oil now provides a far better return on investment, while being costly to drill for. We can’t just take hydrogen out of the earth; we have to produce it. The large wages that engineers who work with fossil fuels often earn are just too much for us to match. The expectations of what one must perform in order to get compensated at a particular level differ. As suggested by and Oil and Gas Research Specialist, [Our] salaries seem high from the outside looking in but in reality, because of this new trend that COP28 has pushed, now hydrogen sources are forced to be implemented in our work and [we] must learn to quickly adapt to this new source since it is the future of the field.”

The Market

According to a survey conducted by a recruitment firm for the energy sector, it was found that over a third of the workforce in the emerging green hydrogen sector comes from the fossil fuel business.

Thus, both industries – oil and gas as well as the hydrogen industry – depend on fundamental technical knowledge. That is all. Fundamentally, the prerequisites are same if you’re thinking about switching from petrol and oil to hydrogen. We want mechanical fitters, electricians, and those with the ability to repair, fix, or terminate cable. putting items in their proper places. Each of these abilities is crucial. All we really need from you is the willingness to effect genuine change in the energy industry and the capacity to transfer these talents to other contexts, sizes, and applications.

In conclusion, an equitable shift towards cleaner energy production for oil and gas organizations will be enabled by leveraging common skill sets, knowledge, and experience. We must learn from past mistakes to prevent the adverse effects experienced by those whose livelihoods depended on the coal and steel industries.

The growing hydrogen sector can collaborate with the oil and gas industry to offer alternative job options, realign current infrastructure, and support the workforce in transitioning to clean energy. However, for this to succeed, these groups must be willing to adapt and resize accordingly.