Natural gas and carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS) together offer the most feasible near-term path for expanding low-carbon hydrogen production in Latin America, according to new analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

hydrogen demand

Currently, the most prevalent and economically feasible way to produce hydrogen is by splitting it from natural gas without abatement of the resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Low-carbon hydrogen, meanwhile, can be produced either by capturing emissions from hydrogen generated from fossil fuels, or by using electrolysis to split water with low-carbon electricity such as renewables or nuclear power.

“Coupling conventional technologies with [CCUS] is currently the main route to producing low-carbon hydrogen globally,” researchers...