The role of hydrogen in clean power

On a hot afternoon in Chanthaburi province's Koh Jik, a small island striving for 100% renewable energy, anew power system is being tested. The goal? To see if hydrogen can keep the lights on when there's no sun or wind.

- Chakorn Loetnithat

Koh Jik, cut off from the mainland’s elec-tricity grid, is well known for its solar power. It is one of the communities that tried solar panels two decades ago. Currently, most of the energy consumed is derived from solar panels and wind turbines. The community has received many environmental awards, including the 2024 Green Globe Award for its exemplary environmental conservation.

But to keep electricity stable, it still relies on diesel-powered generators and batteries. If the test succeeds, hydrogen could replace diesel as a clean backup, making the island fully green without emissions.

The experiment carried out early this year uses water and electrolysis to produce hydro-gen, storing it in pressurised tanks, and then converting it back to electricity through fuel cells. Electricity used in the electrolysing pro-cess comes from solar panels. This approach aims to demonstrate how renewable energy sources, combined with hydrogen technol-ogy, can enable a completely CO2-free energy supply. The trial wouldn’t just transform Koh Jik — it could help shape Thailand's energy future with green hydrogen technology.

Thanks to its abundant sources and versa-tile uses, green hydrogen is the clean energy of the future. It can be used in transport, heating, electricity production, and storage. Since hydrogen comes from various sources, it is classified by different shades of colour and how it is produced, with different environ-mental impacts.

Hydrogen can also be classified by its dif-ferent uses. In transport, hydrogen is used as a fuel in fuel cells to generate electricity for electric vehicles. Hydrogen is also used in oil refining and ammonia production for indus-trial uses.