In the final episode of Season One of our Green Hydrogen series, we’re looking at how Hydrogen might be useful to aid hard-to-abate industries such as Steel in achieving a zero-carbon future.
Let’s get serious about carbon intensity for a minute: the steel industry produces approx 2.6 GIGATONS* of carbon emissions annually, that’s over 7% of total global emissions and it’s a product that is not optional in today’s world. If you’re having a hard time wrapping your head around that number, here’s some insight. The prefix “giga” means 109, or one billion (1,000,000,000). Hence terms like “gigawatt” or “gigahertz.” Thus, a gigaton is equivalent to a billion metric tons. So, 2.6 Gigatons = roughly 38 Billion Pounds (plus a little), therefore about 5.5 times the entire Human population in CO2 is being released into the atmosphere each year just by Steel alone. Let that sink in.
Credit to Washinton Post for this excellent article on the scale of Gigatons in Ice, CO2, etc from 2015
For this final episode of the season, Joachim von Scheele, Global Director of Commercialization for leading gas retailer, Linde, has set his sights on decarbonizing Steel and other large industry emitters through energy efficiency and, yes, Green Hydrogen. As a longtime Global leader for Linde, Joachim has spent his 20+ year career living and working in India, China, and Europe where these hard-to-abate industries are critical parts of the economy and the world's construction process. Today, he provides a crash-course in steel manufacturing and Hydrogen production, along with a vision for how green hydrogen could possibly be the answer to decarbonizing this energy intensive sector. And we’re not just day-dreaming, here, Joachim gets calls daily from the industry leaders who are looking to transition to “green steel”.
The demand has arrived, but who will meet it?
Listen Now, on SunCast.
This is the last episode of our Green Hydrogen Mini-Series. You can hear all five episodes and learn more about our experts at www.mysuncast.com/hydrogen
Episode 1 - Nexus of Deep Decarbonization & “The Inevitability of Hydrogen” with Sheldon Kimber, CEO Intersect Power
Episode 2 - The Green Hydrogen Opportunity with DNVs Global Energy Storage leader and Hydrogen Industry Veteran, Jason Goodhand
Episode 3 - The Role of the Large Energy Companies, partnership opportunities, existing infrastructure, and more from a top 10 Oil & Gas analyst, RBC’s Biraj Borkhataria
Episode 4 - Role of New Technologies - with Raffi Garbedin, Co-founder of Electric Hydrogen (formerly CTO of First Solar)
Episode 5 - Decarbonizing Hard-to-abate Sectors Like Steel with Joachim Von Sheele, Global Director of Commercialization at the world’s largest industrial gas company, Linde, who is also building the world’s largest Electrolyzer.
ABOUT JOACHIM VON SHEELE:
Joachim von Schéele is The Linde Group’s Global Global Director of Commercialization, and has worked at LInde for 25 yrs.
He received his MSc in Process Metallurgy and PhD in Metals Production Engineering from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden in 1987 and 1992, respectively.
With a mix of research and industry background, Joachim von Schéele joined the industrial gases industry in 1996. Since then, focus has been on extending the practical use of new technologies, particularly related to oxyfuel combustion and energy savings, in different technical and commercial management roles at AGA, BOC and Linde, such as Business Unit Manager, Business Concepts Manager, and Global Marketing Manager.
He has been doing business in more than 40 countries around the world, frequently directly involved on-site in numerous installations and commissioning projects. He has been heading Linde’s successful approach with flameless oxyfuel installations in the steel and metals industries, and is a world-leading authority on use of oxyfuel in the steel industry.
Joachim von Schéele holds seven patents and has published more than 150 papers on steel and base metals production, energy and emission conservation, and material recycling. He has served as a member of more than 30 boards of companies, associations, and research and education organizations, and as session chairman at many conferences. Joachim von Schéele is a long term member of VDEh and AIST, and is included in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Asia, and Who’s Who of Professionals.
CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE GREEN HYDROGEN SERIES:
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.