Previous Year Question

Green hydrogen can play a significant role in the decarbonisation of all three industries—fertilizer plants, oil refineries and steel plants. Therefore, option C is correct.

1. Fertilizer plants: Ammonia is the principal basis for producing nitrogenous fertilizers such as urea. Hydrogen is required for manufacturing ammonia. At present, this hydrogen is produced mainly from fossil fuels such as natural gas, which results in carbon dioxide emissions. Green ammonia can be produced by replacing it with green hydrogen manufactured using renewable energy. This can reduce emissions from the fertilizer industry.

2. Oil refineries: Refineries use hydrogen in hydro-desulphurisation, which removes sulphur from crude oil, and hydrocracking, which converts heavy hydrocarbons into lighter products. Most of the hydrogen currently used is produced from fossil fuels. Replacing it with green hydrogen can reduce emissions associated with refining operations.

3. Steel plants: Conventional blast-furnace-based steel production uses coke both as a fuel and as a reducing agent, resulting in substantial carbon dioxide emissions. In hydrogen-based direct reduction, green hydrogen can be used to remove oxygen from iron ore. This process primarily produces water vapour instead of carbon dioxide. It can therefore substantially reduce emissions from the steel industry.

Thus, green hydrogen can play an important role in decarbonising all three heavy industries mentioned in the question.