What Color is Your Hydrogen?

Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of sources, including:

• Natural Gas: The most common method of producing hydrogen is through steam methane reforming (SMR), which involves reacting natural gas with steam in the presence of a catalyst.
  
• Renewable Energy: Hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power through the process of electrolysis, where an electric current is passed through water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.
  
• Coal: Hydrogen can also be produced by gasifying coal, a process that involves heating coal with steam and oxygen to produce a gas that can be separated into hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
  
• Biomass: Hydrogen can be produced from biomass by a process called gasification, where organic material is heated with a limited amount of oxygen or steam to produce a gas that can be separated into hydrogen and other gases.
  
• Nuclear Energy: Nuclear energy can also be used to produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules through a process called thermochemical water splitting or high-temperature electrolysis.
  
• Water: Hydrogen can be produced directly from water through a process called photoelectrochemical water splitting, which uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, this method is still in the experimental stage and not yet commercially viable.

Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of hydrogen production method depends on factors such as availability, cost, and environmental impact.