C-MACC Weekly “CRETER” (Climate etc.)
Coal – The Cheapest Blue Hydrogen: Heresy Or Common-Sense?
- As the “Build Back Better” plan looks less likely in the US we would expect compromises that provide greater opportunities for “clean” US fossil fuel.
- While the need for more LNG is glaringly apparent, we provide a compelling case for using abundant, low-cost US coal to produce cheap blue hydrogen.
- Hydrogen is likely to be supply-constrained, and clean blue hydrogen from coal is possible relatively quickly and does not rely on unproven new technology.
- The investor and litigation backlash from throwing support towards coal would likely be significant, and any lifeline would need stringent emission regulation.
- Otherwise, we look at the aggressive chemical recycling push, carbon pricing, possible renewable power inflation in 2022, and the benefits of being nimble.
See PDF below for all charts