Terry Kallis canceled the construction of a 6 gigawatt clean hydrogen plant in South Australia in May. The reason is that his investment scheme, called Kallis Energy Investments, has run into an insurmountable problem, namely water shortages. According to the Hydrogen Council, this is just one of about 680 large-scale hydrogen projects under consideration around the world. The Hydrogen Council estimates that around $700 billion in investment will be required by 2030 to meet zero emissions targets. Many of them can also “die of thirst”. Major companies such as BP, Fortescue Metals and Reliance Industries are green hydrogen pioneers. It is so named because it is produced using renewable energy rather than carbon-emitting fossil fuels. However, looking for the mention of the word “water” in the declarations of potential manufacturers, he does not find anything. And this raises fears that they are either ignoring the risks or underestimating how much they will need, the problems with their security and what it will cost them. Mr Callis, at least, took the rare step of voicing his concern about water shortages from the start. There are many factors that speak in favor of the success of green hydrogen. From a niche climate change solution three or four years ago, it has evolved today into something that can power everything from shipping, aviation and heavy trucks to industrial processes like steel and fertilizer. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that green hydrogen could account for almost a tenth of the world’s final energy consumption by 2050. Water is one of the three key resources for its production, along with renewable energy sources and an electrolyte that decomposes water (H2O). ) into its constituents, hydrogen and oxygen.

The problem is that producing the energy you need usually means building factories either in areas where industry, agriculture and households already compete strongly for this natural resource, or in hot sunny areas suitable for solar panels. Estimates of how much water is needed to produce green hydrogen vary widely. This is problematic, according to consulting firm Bluefield Research, as about 85% of the planned facilities are located in areas suffering from moderate to severe water scarcity. The International Energy Agency, the Australian National Hydrogen Roadmap, Goldman Sachs and others state that it takes 9 to 10 liters of water to produce one kilogram of hydrogen. This only concerns the last stage, when the two elements of water separate, this stage is known as the stoichiometric process. More water is required to reach this point.

In total, according to Bluefield, the amount can reach 24 liters. Engineering consulting company GHD estimates it at 60 to 95 liters per kilogram for fresh water. Another source of water is desalination, which involves the removal of salt from sea water, although it is considered more intensive. It also requires additional construction and maintenance costs, including the production of huge amounts of brine, and permits for such facilities, if obtained, can take years.