When thinking of hydrogen and its applications, the tendency is to jump from one end of the spectrum or to the other; used either as the key enabler in refining and chemicals operations, or as the shiny new energy vector of the future for mobility applications.
Industrial gas companies continue to supply large quantities of hydrogen via onsite pipeline (OSP) business to oil and gas refineries, basic and specialty chemical manufacturers, and food processors the world over. In fact, most hydrogen product is supplied via pipeline to large users. In the US, for example, this mode represents as much as 85% of hydrogen supply, according to estimates.
The greatest demand for this hydrogen continues to be the petroleum sector, where strict environmental regulations for clean air in North America and Europe require lower sulfur fuels. It is well known that hydrogen plays a fundamental role in a whole host of refining operations, from hydrocracking to the treatment of gas streams, and through to catalytic reforming. It is for this reason that it has earned the aforementioned tag of ‘key enabler’.
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