Color spectrum and brief description

Today, the production of hydrogen is no longer something fundamentally new, but its use has not yet found its way to the majority of the end consumer. This is due to many factors, but today we will talk about how hydrogen is produced now. What kind of hydrogen is there?

Grey and Blue hydrogen

Today's hydrogen production is mostly fossil fuel-based (mainly - natural gas), known as Grey hydrogen, which is the most common form of hydrogen production today. Adding the emission-reducing measures like CCU (carbon capture, utilization, and storage) Grey hydrogen becomes the Blue one.

Methods: Steam reforming / Steam reforming withCCU

Black and brown hydrogen

Using black or brown coal for the process of so-called ‘gasification’, where the conversion of carbon-rich materials happens, leading to hydrogen and carbon dioxide as products. This method is the most environmentally damaging and is expected to disappear soon, given the ongoing decarbonization policies in the largest countries of the world.

Method: Gasification

Green hydrogen

Green hydrogen is made using renewable energy sources for water electrolysis. This is the second most common method of hydrogen production, although its share in total production is still quite small.

Method: Water electrolysis using renewable energy sources

Pink hydrogen

Pink hydrogen is made using nuclear energy sources for water electrolysis. Nuclear-based hydrogen can also sometimes be called purple or red.

Method: Water electrolysis using nuclear energy

Yellow hydrogen

Yellow hydrogen is made using solar energy for water electrolysis. This is a relatively new method of producing hydrogen and is different from the Green only in the use of solar energy instead of “classic” renewables.

Method: Water electrolysis using solar energy
Turquoise or teal hydrogen

Teal hydrogen is made using a process called methane pyrolysis to produce hydrogen and solid carbon with no CO2 emissions.

Method: Methane pyrolysis

White hydrogen

White hydrogen is a naturally occurring, geological hydrogen or “natural hydrogen” that can be found in underground deposits. Until recently, such deposits were considered extremely rare, but recent research shows that hydrogen can be formed through water-rock reactions deep within the Earth.